RENO, Nev. (AP) - A Nevada county’s district attorney said an investigation found that the fatal shooting of a man by police in 2018 was justified.
Phillip Serrano, 44, was shot by police multiple times on Sept. 23, 2018. Officers responded to a call from Serrano’s sister, who said she was worried about him. After a brief interaction, police shot him as he drove toward them. Serrano later died in the hospital.
Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said Wednesday that based on investigation reports, body camera footage, photographs, recorded interviews, forensic reports and 3,000 pages of documents, the fatal incident was justified.
“This conclusion is based on an extensive review of the investigation conducted by the Sparks Police Department, which was submitted to this office on July 29, 2020,” Hicks wrote in his report. “Unless new circumstances come to light that contradict the factual foundation upon which this decision was made, this case is officially closed.”
Serrano’s family has filed a lawsuit against the Reno Police Department for what they said was a violation of his civil rights. Mitchell Bisson, the family’s attorney, did not immediately respond to requests for comment by the Reno Gazette-Journal.
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