Cop Who Fatally Shot PG County Resident Terrence Sterling Won't Face Charges

WASHINGTON, DC — A DC police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black motorcyclist in Sept. 2016 will not face any criminal charges, prosecutors announced.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 11, 2016, 31-year-old Terrence Sterling from Fort Washington, Md. was gunned down by Officer Brian Trainer while returning from a party in Northwest Washington.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for DC said there is "insufficient evidence" to pursue criminal charges against Trainer. The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Metropolitan Police Department investigated civilian witness accounts, photos, diagrams, physical evidence, recorded 911 calls and radio runs, videos, speed analysis data and more to come to their decision.

According to court documents, Sterling was driving a motorcycle westbound on U Street at about 4:20 a.m. Sept. 11, 2016 when he pulled in front of a police cruiser occupied by Trainer and his partner, who was the driver.

Sterling sped through a red light in front of their cop car and led police on a chase covering 25 city blocks. Sterling allegedly sped through red lights and operated his motorcycle at about 100 miles per hour or more, prosecutors said. Sterling nearly averted collisions with another police cruiser and a civilian and refused to stop throughout the chase.

The officers lost track of Sterling but located him a short while later on Third Street NW. The officers blocked the motorcycle at the intersection and Trainer then took his gun out, pointed it downward toward his own body and opened the passenger door of the police cruiser to get out, prosecutors said.

Evidence shows Sterling revved his motorcycle, accelerated and turned it toward the cruiser's open passenger side. Sterling crashed into the door of the police cruiser and Trainer then fired two rounds at him through the front passenger window, prosecutors said.

Sterling was struck in his right side and neck at about 4:27 a.m. that morning. Trainer and his partner attempted to perform life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful. Sterling was pronounced dead at Howard University Hospital.

Toxicology reports show Sterling's blood alcohol content was .16, about two times the legal limit. He also tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, prosecutors said.

After a "careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence," federal prosecutors said there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trainer willfully used unreasonable force and/or was not acting in self-defense when he discharged his service weapon at Sterling.

The shooting led to protests around the nation. Critics say that Sterling merely bumped the patrol car while trying to flee, and in any event he did not present an immediate threat to the officer.

Trainer has worked for the DC police force for four years and remains on administrative leave. He was the only officer at the scene with a body-worn camera and did not turn it on until after the shooting occurred, WTOP reports. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the department asked Trainer to resign, saying in a statement, "I do not believe there can be real accountability if the officer remains on the force."

Image via Justice 4 #TerrenceSterling Protest