No Charges For Denver Officer Who Shot Unarmed Suspect

DENVER (AP) — Prosecutors won't charge a Denver police officer who fatally shot an unarmed bank robbery suspect on a downtown street during the busy lunchtime rush.

District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said Thursday Technician Jeffrey Motz was reasonable to shoot 40-year-old Dion Damon, even though he was not holding a gun as the officer believed.

The April 12 shooting happened near the state Capitol and just steps from City Hall. A task force had been following Damon and confronted him as he sat in a parked car.

Morrissey says Damon refused to show his hands and suddenly pretended to point a gun at Motz. Motz then fired through the windshield.

Morrissey says it doesn't matter whether Damon was actually armed because officers do not have wait to be fired upon before shooting in self-defense.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)