SAVANNAH, Ga. – An officer who fatally shot a handcuffed suspect won't face criminal charges after a grand jury found the detained man was armed with a gun that police missed during his pat-down.
The grand jury spent four days hearing evidence in the death of 29-year-old Charles Smith. Its report, released Wednesday, concluded that the shooting was justified. But the report criticized police for failing to thoroughly search Smith for a concealed weapon.
Officer David Jannot shot Smith on Sept. 18 after he was arrested and placed in handcuffs into a patrol car. Savannah-Chatham County police said Smith was able to move his cuffed hands in front of his body, then kicked out a car window and tried to escape. The grand jury report said Smith had a gun in his hand.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
