TN Officer Cleared in Shooting of Student who Brought Gun to High School
Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen said Knoxville police officer Jonathon Clabough was justified under the state’s self-defense law in the April 12 shooting of 17-year-old Anthony J. Thompson Jr. at Austin-East Magnet High School.
The officer who fatally shot a student who brought a gun to a Tennessee high school last week will not face criminal charges, officials announced Wednesday while reviewing officer-worn body camera footage with the public for the first time.
Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen said Knoxville police officer Jonathon Clabough was justified under the state’s self-defense law in the April 12 shooting of 17-year-old Anthony J. Thompson Jr. at Austin-East Magnet High School, Fox News reports.
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Allen also for the first time released the officer-worn body camera footage, surveillance footage, 911 audio and other documents surrounding the shooting.
The video shows the officers locating and then attempting to handcuff Thompson. One officer grabbed Thompson's right arm, but Thompson's left arm was in his sweatshirt pocket where the video shows he was holding a handgun. The barrel of the weapon could be seen poking through the pocket. Thompson's weapon went off, hitting a trash can but not any of the officers.
The shot confused the officers into thinking their lives were in danger and one of them was potentially injured, Allen said — pointing to the various statements they later gave investigators.
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