A white police officer in South Carolina will not face charges in the fatal shooting of an armed Black teenager in April, the prosecutor in the case has announced.
Body camera footage proved Columbia Police Department Officer Kevin Davis had “reasonable belief” of a threat when he shot 17-year-old Josh Ruffin, who pointed his handgun at the officer during a brief foot chase, Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson said at a Wednesday news conference, where the video was also shown.
A thorough review of the investigation and the tape led to the decision not to charge the officer.
Ruffin was shot in the forehead in Richland County on April 8, about seven weeks before George Floyd’s police custody death, which sparked protests and a national debate on racism and police brutality.
The protests have reached the streets of Columbia, with voices calling for more accountability in the Columbia Police Department, according to WIS News 10.
The officer has reportedly been on administrative duty throughout the investigation.
On the day of the shooting, Davis was patrolling the Eau Claire neighborhood after a report of car break-ins, Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said at the time.
On Wednesday, Gipson revealed that a community leader alerted police to the area, telling officers in a text that teenagers had been seen prowling and looking into parked cars.
Ruffin spotted the patrolman’s car approaching and hid as the officer drove by. He emerged later from behind a house with a large bag, which is when Davis saw him, The Associated Press reported.
Davis approached on foot, and Ruffin turned and ran. A chase ensued for about 30 seconds.
The officer shouted several times for Ruffin to stop and said on his radio that Ruffin appeared to be reaching in his waistband. Ruffin then stopped and pulled out a .45 caliber pistol, Gipson said.
Davis fired 10 shots and hit Ruffin in the forehead, Gipson said.
Ruffin did not fire any shots.
Body camera footage shown at the news conference showed a gun on the ground beside a bleeding Ruffin as officers first rushed up after the shooting.
“We can’t tell you what Ruffin’s intentions were. But he was armed. He pointed the gun at the officer, and he tried to evade the officer,” Gipson said.
Ruffin’s shooting has been brought up at several rallies to fight racial injustice in Columbia, with demonstrators shouting “Justice for Josh!”
At the time, Holbrook said Ruffin had been shot in the upper torso.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division conducted the initial investigation.
— Information provided by The Associated Press was used to supplement this report.
