The Euharlee police officer who shot and killed a 17-year-old will not face criminal charges, according to the Bartow County District Attorney.
A Grand Jury returned a “no bill” on the proposed indictment against Nancy Beth Gatny, who shot Christopher Wayne Roupe in the chest while serving a warrant in February, DA Rosemary Greene said late Wednesday. The DA’s Office had submitted an indictment charging Gatny with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct, but the Grand Jury did not have sufficient evidence for the case to proceed, Greene said in an emailed statement.
“Because the Grand Jury has determined that the actions of Officer Gatny did not rise to the level of a criminal offense, this concludes the involvement of the District Attorney’s Office in this matter,” Greene said.
On Feb. 14, Cpl. Gatny shot the teenager after she knocked on the door of the Roupe home to serve a probation warrant to the boy’s father.
Euharlee police previously said Roupe was pointing a gun at Gatny when he opened the door. But the Roupes’ attorney told Channel 2 Action News that family members said the teen was holding a Nintendo Wii controller.
Roupe, a Woodland High School student, was transported to the Cartersville Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to the GBI, which investigated the shooting. Roupe had planned to participate in ROTC and later become a Marine.
In April, a Grand Jury concluded that the officer's use of deadly force was not authorized, leading the DA's Office to re-examine the case, Greene said. Additional findings and an indictment were then presented to the subsequent Grand Jury.
Gatny is still employed by Euharlee police, according to the department's website.
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