Officer Who Killed 15-Year-Old Gabriel Barnes Won't Face Charges

HUNTSVILLE, AL — A cop who shot and killed a teenager in Huntsville won't face charges, a Madison County prosecutor has said.

The teenager allegedly pinned the cop to his patrol car following a high-speed chase into Huntsville.

The county's chief trial attorney, Tim Gann, says the shooting of 15-year-old Gabriel Sage Barnes on July 7 was justified. Gann tells area media that the decision came after a meeting between prosecutors and state investigators.

Acting Priceville Police Chief Rick Williams has said that Priceville Officer Bryan Smith shot Barnes after the youth from Madisonville, Tennessee, backed a stolen vehicle into a patrol car as Smith was exiting it, pinning him between the vehicles.

The Decatur Daily reports that Barnes' family declined comment.

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