White DC Cop Won't Be Charged in Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Black Man, Terrence Sterling

From [HERE] White federal officials said Wednesday that they won't file charges against a police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black motorcyclist last year in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement that there was insufficient evidence to prove the city police officer used unreasonable force or was not acting in self-defense.

The officer, Brian Trainer, shot Terrence Sterling after a high-speed chase that ended with the 31-year-old revving his motorcycle into a police cruiser's door, according to the statement. Federal officials said the level of alcohol in Sterling's blood was 0.16, twice the legal limit. They said he also tested positive for marijuana.

Federal officials said the chase began after Sterling pulled in front of the police cruiser that was stopped at a red light.

"Mr. Sterling looked over his shoulder in the direction of the officers and then accelerated at a high rate of speed through the red light," the statement said. A chase ensued, covering 25 city blocks, federal officials said. Sterling allegedly drove 100 mph or more while narrowly missing pedestrians and cars.

Sterling was a heating and air-conditioning technician from Fort Washington, Maryland.

Sterling's parents filed a $50 million wrongful-death lawsuit, claiming that Sterling posed no threat and that the officer was negligent when he failed to turn on his body camera.

City officials have acknowledged that the officer, who has been on administrative leave since the shooting, did not turn on his camera, and the city has since ordered 911 operators to remind officers to activate their cameras.

"The complaint alleges that Metropolitan Police officer Brian Trainer shot Mr. Sterling in the back, killing Mr. Sterling from the safety of a police vehicle despite the fact that Mr. Sterling was unarmed and posed no danger to Officer Trainer or any other person. 

"The complaint alleges that Officer Brian Trainer and his partner violated multiple Metropolitan Police Department General Orders in the moments leading to Mr. Sterling’s death. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that General Order 301.03 prohibits officers from placing themselves in front of an oncoming vehicle where deadly force would be the likely outcome. In spite of this General Order, officers unlawfully placed themselves in front of Mr. Sterling’s oncoming motorcycle.

"Additionally, the complaint alleges that General Order 301.03 also prohibits officers from intentionally causing contact between their police vehicle and a civilian’s vehicle, or attempting to force a civilian vehicle into another object or off the roadway. The officers violated this Order by intentionally blocking Mr. Sterling’s path of travel, causing contact with his motorcycle, and trapping his motorcycle between the police car and the curb. While Mr. Sterling was trapped between the curb and the police car, Officer Trainer unlawfully drew his gun, pointed it at Mr. Sterling, and shot him, using deadly force in violation of General Order 901.7. 

"The complaint alleges that each of these violations independently caused the death of Terrence Sterling."

The Metropolitan Police Department released a statement Wednesday that said Trainer will remain on administrative leave as the department begins its own investigation now that the federal probe is over.

The department has not specified the race of the officer, but Jason Downs, the lead attorney for Sterling's family, has said his understanding is the officer is white.

Downs told DC television station Fox 5 on Wednesday that there was "no good reason for the government to decline to prosecute under these circumstances."

"We have to acknowledge that this is another young man that was unarmed, that was killed by a police officer," Downs added. "This is why people believe that there are two justice systems: one for the police officers and one for the rest of us."

Sterling's death prompted protests by activists affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement. Steven Douglass, a youth minister who knew Sterling and organized protests, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that decision not to prosecute is a "smack in the face."

"The community doesn't feel safe," he said. "We now walk around with murderers who we pay with our tax dollars to protect and serve. We will protest and let it be known that we as a community will not be accepting this decision."