Utah Police Shooting Justified, Prosecutor Says
A follow-up investigation involving a newly released video that raised questions about a fatal police shooting has again determined that the officer was justified in opening fire, the Salt Lake County district attorney said Tuesday.
A follow-up investigation involving a newly released video that raised questions about a fatal police shooting has again determined that the officer was justified in opening fire, the Salt Lake County district attorney said Tuesday, reports the Associated Press.
The evidence shows Officer Matthew Taylor did not shoot a man while he was handcuffed on the ground, as the video released Friday by activists and lawyers for the man's family appeared to show, prosecutor Sim Gill said.
A different video and wounds suffered by James Dudley Barker indicate he was shot during a scuffle after hitting the officer with a snow shovel, Gill said.
"This officer deserved better and he has been exonerated," Gill said. "Under the law, that officer did what he was trained to do."
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