CLEVELAND – A grand jury has indicted a Cleveland police officer on a misdemeanor charge of negligent homicide in the death of an 18-year-old man who had broken into a neighborhood store.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office announced the indictment of patrolman Alan Buford on Friday.
The prosecutor's office says Buford for "reasons unknown" shot 18-year-old Brandon Jones in the chest when Buford and his partner tried to arrest him outside the store in March 2015.
Prosecutor Tim McGinty says it's unreasonable for officers to use deadly force if they have no reason to think a person is a threat to police or the public.
A police union attorney for Buford says he believes the officer acted properly and within the scope of his duties to protect the community's safety.
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