RENO, Nev. (AP) - Prosecutors say police were legally justified in fatally shooting a man who pointed what appeared to be a shotgun at them near a highway exit north of Reno in March.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Wednesday that officers feared for their safety when they fired on 22-year-old Arteair Porter near an Amazon warehouse.
He died at a Reno hospital. An investigation later found he was armed with a BB gun.
Prosecutors say officers found Porter after he called 911, saying he was upset about the death of his 6-month-old daughter and wanted to shoot someone. They say police tried to calm him down for about 20 minutes before he raised the weapon.
Authorities say Porter had also threatened to shoot passing cars.
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