Prosecutor St Louis cop acted in self-defense in capturing

ST LOUIS (AP) - The St. Louis police official who fatally shot a robbery suspect in January acted in self-defense, the prosecutor ruled Monday.

Saint. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce released two surveillance videos as she introduced her decision not to charge Sgt. Michael Pratt in the shooting of 52-year-old Crayton West upon Jan. 17 following a robbery of a Kentucky Deep-fried Chicken restaurant.
One video appears to show West pointing a gun from the clerk before achieving into the cash sign-up and grabbing money. The other shows him coming face-to-face with an arriving official. He seems to reach in to his waistband, pull away a gun and increase it before being fatally shot.

"A family lost someone very important to them, and I'm so sorry for loss, " Joyce said in the statement. "I am furthermore thankful that more people were not injured throughout this incident. "
Joyce pointed to the movie and statements from many those who were inside and close to the restaurant who informed investigators they saw Western having a gun. His finger prints were found on the counter of the cafe, she said.
"We possess the unusual advantage with this case in that the incident was captured upon surveillance video, " stated Joyce. "In addition to brave witnesses willing to work and the forensic plus physical evidence, it's very clear that the officer within this case was performing to protect himself and those in the restaurant. inch

Police-involved shootings have confronted increasing scrutiny in the particular St. Louis region considering that 18-year-old Michael Brown, who else was black and unarmed, was fatally shot throughout a street confrontation with white officer Darren Wilson in nearby Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9, 2014.
A grand jury and the U. S. Division of Justice declined in order to prosecute Wilson, who retired in November 2014.
West was black; Pratt is white.
Police Chief Sam Dotson said Pratt is usually a 13-year veteran associated with the department.

"We are usually thankful for the cooperation of witnesses as they will provided the insight researchers sma ngentot and prosecutors needed in order to arrive at their bottom line, " Dotson said in a statement.