Officers involved in the shooting that left an Ohio man dead earlier this week will not be charged, Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said in a news conference on Friday.
An investigation was launched after 28-year-old Joe Frasure Jr. died Tuesday, a day after he was shot by police who believed he was a burglary suspect. Frasure Jr.’s family said he was cleaning out his late grandmother’s home.
Powers said the three officers involved in the incident were acting in self-defense because Frasure Jr. refused to comply with orders to get out of the minivan he was in and drove it towards the officers, almost striking them.
Officers encountered Frasure and his father, Joseph Frasure Sr., at the back of an apartment building when they responded to a call for a burglary in progress on Monday. Frasure Sr. was standing on the driveway near a gray minivan that Frasure Jr. was in, Powers said.
Officers shouted commands at them to put their hands in the air, exit the vehicle and get on the ground, which Frasure Jr. didn’t do, Powers said.
“Frasure Jr., in an attempt to get away, pulled his vehicle in reverse, accelerated and crashed into a tree. The officers continued to shout commands for him to stop and get out of the car,” said Powers. “He put the car in drive, quickly accelerated and drove his vehicle straight at the officers.”
After almost hitting one officer, Frasure Jr. “then steered his vehicle in the direction of the other two officers,” who continued to shout commands at him to stop, Powers said.
“In an act of self defense, both officers discharged their service weapons, approximately 3 to 4 rounds in total at the suspect as the vehicle sped within feet of them, several shots struck the vehicle and at least one shot struck Frasure. The vehicle then crashed into the side of the apartment building,” she said.
In body camera footage released of the incident and viewed by NBC News, officers can be seen encountering the two men at approximately 12:43 a.m. at the back…
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