Minnesota Prosecutor Declines to Charge Officers Who Fatally Shot Jamar Clark

A Minneapolis prosecutor announced that the two officers who fatally shot 24-year-old Jamar Clark in November will not face any charges, reports NBC News.

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Clark was fatally shot the evening of November 15, shortly after police arrived to respond to a domestic dispute between Clark and his girlfriend. According to police, they attempted to handcuff Clark after he tried to interfere with the paramedics who were treating his girlfriend. 

During the scuffle, Clark allegedly reached for Officer Mark Ringgenberg’s gun. Officer Dustin Schwarze says that he put his gun to Clark’s mouth and threatened to shoot him. Clark reportedly said he was ready to die, which is when Ringgenberg ordered Schwarze to open fire. He was taken to a local hospital, but died the following day.

Though the police claim that Clark was not restrained, witnesses say that he was in handcuffs. Clark’s DNA was found on the officers holster, but they never found a weapon on him.

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Clark’s death prompted weeks of protests outside of the police station. In an unceremonious move last week, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that he would not be using a grand jury in the case, citing that declining to do so would make the proceedings “more transparent and more accountable.”