Grand jury declines to indict police officer who killed 15 Yr old Black boy

A grand jury decided Friday not to indict the police officer who shot to death a 15-year-old boy armed with a pellet gun, police said. When the shooting happened Oct. 24, police said the boy, Courtney Williams, pointed a realistic-looking weapon at them that later turned out to be a pellet gun. Some family members said they doubted that. The officer who shot Williams, Scott Mars, is a seven-year veteran. "This has been a difficult case for everyone involved," Police Chief William McManus said. He said documents from the case would be released once they had been reviewed. The shooting happened after officers responded to a report of a person with a gun in north Minneapolis. At least one witness heard an officer order the person to drop the gun, McManus said at the time. Williams first ran, then turned toward the officers with the gun and was shot, according to a police report. Family members said Williams was a student at Edison High School and an avid basketball player. They said Williams was leaving his aunt's house and heading to a friend's for the night with his usual group of friends when the shooting happened. [more] and [more] and [more]

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