Two Gastonia police officers involved in the shooting death of a man at a convenience store in January will not face criminal charges, according to a report from the police department released on Monday.
Surveillance video, shared by the Gastonia Police Department on May 11, captures the moments leading up to the shooting at Jakob’s Food Mart. On January 10, the two plainclothes officers fired their weapons at a man identified as Derrick Manigault.
In January, police indicated that Manigault was waving what appeared to be a gun and making “threatening movements” prior to the shooting. Two days after the incident, authorities reported that Manigault had died in the hospital from his injuries.
It remains unclear how many times Manigault was struck by gunfire. Investigators later concluded that the firearm seen in Manigault’s waistband and in his hand was not a real weapon.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation into the police shooting and presented its findings to the Gaston County district attorney. The district attorney has decided not to press charges against the two officers, as stated by the police department on May 11.
The officers involved in the shooting were on paid leave at least during the initial phase of the state’s investigation. As of Monday, the police department had not released the names of the two officers.
