CHARLOTTE, NC — Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather said Monday that he has reviewed a shootout between officers and a murder suspect in January and found that the officers were justified in their use of force.
Jonathan Bennett died when he ambushed officers outside Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police headquarters January 11.
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Police had been looking for Bennett after his girlfriend was found murdered earlier in the day on Carlyle Drive in Charlotte.
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He began shooting at officers outside headquarters around 10:45 p.m. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Casey Shue was wounded in the leg
Officers returned fire and Bennett was hit and fell to the ground. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Officials said two CMPD officers and two probation officers fired at Bennett. The CMPD officers were identified as Jeffrey Zederbaum, who has been with the department since January 2009, and Jared Decker, who was hired in July 2014. Merriweather's report identifies the two other officers as Probation Officer Dwain Johnson and Probation Officer Jason Dzierzynski.
The report says the officers involved were unaware at the time of the shooting that Bennett was the suspect in the earlier murder investigation. It also says the entire incident was captured on police-worn body cameras.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REPORT (CAUTION GRAPHIC)
A 9mm pistol was found next to Bennett before he was taken to the hospital.
Merriweather said as he has concluded the officers were justified in shooting Bennett, he will not be seeking charges against the officers involved.
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