A 37-second fight ensued when the South Caroline trooper tried to handcuff the man, with him then kicking, biting and using the trooper's own stun gun against him.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A white South Carolina trooper will not face criminal charges for fatally shooting a Black man who ran away from an attempted traffic stop last year, prosecutors have announced.
Prosecutors say a white South Carolina trooper won't face criminal charges for fatally shooting a Black man who ran away from an attempted traffic stop last year. 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said Monday that Master Trooper Whittney Blake Benton acted in self-defense when he killed Tristan Vereen last September. Investigators say Benton tried to pull Vereen over for a cracked windshield, prompting a chase by car and foot. Benton told investigators he shot Vereen in the chest because he feared for his life after Vereen bit, kicked and used Benton's stun gun on the trooper during a brief fight. A lawyer for Vereen's family says they want the Department of Justice to review the facts.