Police officers involved in two recent shootings of suspects have been cleared of wrongdoing by a Leon County grand jury. State Attorney Willie Meggs says the officers followed the law and took the actions they felt were necessary to protect the public and themselves.
Meggs says Tallahassee Police Department officers were doing their jobs when they fired shots that killed a teenager and injured another young man. One incident happened in June outside of Club Pierre off Orange Avenue, the other occurred at Cheeks Bar on Tennessee Street. The two incidents are part of of a handful of officer-involved shootings that have occurred in Tallahassee during the past month. But Meggs says pushback from community members who’ve raised concerns about the shootings is misplaced.
“None of the officers that were involved in this shooting, I know for sure one of them has never fired his firearm in I believe 18 years at anybody. So to think that the officers are out there blood thirsty and wanting to shoot somebody is absolutely ridiculous,” Meggs says.
The rate of violent crime in the city has been high recently and Meggs says that’s up to community members and families to change. TPD's policies have been under scrutiny lately following two high profile cases.
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