LEE COUNTY, Miss.- The Lee County Grand Jury has decided not to indict a Tupelo police officer for a shooting on June 18th that left a man dead.
Jurors cleared Officer Tyler Cook of any charges after he shot Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert four times during an assault. Officials claimed Shumpert jumped out from a hiding place under a house and began attacking the officer, that is when shots were fired.
However, Shumpert’s family said that the fatal force was unnecessary and are suing the city’s police department for upwards of $35 million in damages.
They claimed there was a racial discrimination since Cook is white and Shumpert was black.
The family’s lawyer, Carlos Moore, said this:
“While we are incredibly disappointed that the officer who killed Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert will not be charged with a crime by the state of Mississippi, we will continue to monitor the investigations currently being conducted by the FBI and Department of Justice. Our lawsuit against several parties is moving forward and our own investigation into exactly what occurred that night is ongoing. Today’s announcement about the grand jury’s decision is but on step in our lengthy quest for justice. We will not stop until we have exhausted every lawful avenue for Ronnie’s family.”
