Officer said he feared for his life. Officer is lying, said the prosecutorCINCINNATI, July 29 (Reuters) - A University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man has been charged with murder after a grand jury investigation, the Hamilton County prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Joseph Deters, speaking bluntly at a news conference to announce the charges, called the July 19 death of Samuel Dubose, 43, "senseless" and totally unnecessary. He said Ray Tensing, the white officer who shot Dubose in the head, never should have been a police officer.
The incident was the latest in a series of fatal police confrontations across the United States that have raised questions about police use of force against minorities.
City officials braced for possible unrest after the announcement of the grand jury's decision and the University of Cincinnati shut down in case of protests. The university said it will review its policing strategy in the wake of the shooting.
Deters said Tensing, 25, had purposely shot Dubose, who was not resisting after he was pulled over for not having a front license plate on his car.
"I've been doing this for 30 years," Deters told reporters after meeting with Dubose's family. "This is the most asinine act I've ever seen a police officer make, totally unwarranted."
Police said Tensing, who also was charged with voluntary manslaughter, surrendered at about 2 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT).
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