District Attorney Says Trooper Who Shot Deaf Man Was Justified

CHARLOTTE, NC — The District Attorney released his report Monday explaining why he says the trooper who shot and killed a deaf man was justified.

Trooper Jermaine Saunders shot and killed Daniel Harris Aug. 18, 2016.

To see previous reports, click here.

Harris’s extended family in Charlotte is deaf. They released a statement Monday saying in part, “…we are demanding answers, especially after this released report. We are sure that this awful tragedy could have been prevented if the officer had exercised any number of the non-lethal options at his disposal.”

District Attorney Andrew Murray’s report mentions eight witnesses.

“I have to look at it as the reasonableness of the trooper in his eyes, given all the circumstances, ” said Murray.

He says most witnesses back up the trooper’s account that Harris led high-speed chase down Interstate 485, wrecked and stopped two times, saw the trooper in uniform pointing his gun.

At one point Murray says Trooper Saunders was at Harris’ window with the gun.

“Is at his window with his gun drawn getting no compliance,” said Murray. “He could visibly see him but still took off again.”

They ended up at Harris’ house on Seven Oaks Dr.

The trooper says Harris saw him pointing his gun and ran toward him with something in his hand.

Perceiving it as a weapon, the DA says the trooper fired his weapon.

The Harris family wrote: “It was not until later, in his interview with the SBI, that Officer Saunders discussed a ‘metal object’ in Daniel’s hand, which was later identified as a carabiner.”

Murray says the trooper was in fear of his life and being deaf had nothing to do with the shooting.

“He simply did not follow any of those directions and ran directly into a trooper,” said Murray. “Which, I would say, is the universal language of hand up, in uniform, gun pointed at you: you don’t approach, and you don’t charge.”

The Harris family wrote that “…is a red flag for the extreme miscommunication and disconnect between the deaf community and law enforcement.”

Will DeVore is the Harris family attorney.

“They really want more answers for this case. What happened to their son Daniel, that’s really their primary concern,” said Harris.

He is comparing the DA’s findings to the SBI evidence before deciding whether to move forward with a civil lawsuit for wrongful death.

“The family wants to know exactly what happened and what these witnesses are really saying,” said DeVore. “That [the DA’s report] is not the entire SBI file, and that is not the whole story, in my opinion.”