A Mississippi police officer who shot and killed a Georgia man early last year has been cleared by a grand jury in his home state, according to local news reports.
Leonard Parker Jr., 53, of Covington, died Feb. 1, 2020, when he was shot by a Gulfport, Mississippi, officer responding to a 911 call, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. The grand jury found no criminal conduct on behalf of the officer, according to Biloxi news station WLOX.
The incident unfolded after Gulfport police had received multiple 911 calls about a single address. The responding officer was walking up to the location around 3 a.m. when a car began driving toward him. The officer fired at the vehicle and hit Parker, killing him with a single shot, the AJC reported.
Officials did not share additional details about the circumstances of the shooting.
Parker, a military veteran, was laid to rest at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, according to his obituary.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation prepared a report on the incident for the grand jury. At the time, the officer involved was placed on “non-enforcement” duties, but his current status with the department was not shared.
No further action will be taken by the grand jury in the case, WLOX reported.
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