No charges will be filed against police officers who chased an armed man at a Michigan big-box store and shot him twice in the parking lot, authorities said Wednesday.
State law gives police the right to use reasonable force to arrest someone and protect themselves and the public, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
The incident occurred at a Meijer store in East Lansing on April 25. It got much attention because East Lansing police released video of the hectic moments from body-worn cameras and the store’s roof.
Someone called 911 to report a Black man wearing a hat and mask had pulled a gun from his car and was entering the store.
Minutes later, an officer confronted DeAnthony VanAtten and ordered him to show his hands as he was leaving the lobby with a bag. A foot chase, with orders to stop, began through rows of parked cars.
VanAtten was shot twice. A loaded gun was found nearby. He faces five charges.
“If a person uses force within our state’s definition of self-defense, their actions are justified under the law, and they are not guilty of a crime," said Nessel, a Democrat.
At the time, Burnette VanAtten said her son was shot for “shopping while Black.”
