A special prosecutor has announced that the white South Bend officer who shot and killed a black man in South Bend last summer will not be charged for the shooting.
Special Prosecutor Richard Hertel has announced that officer Ryan O’Neill will not be charged for shooting Eric Logan because the state cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the force was not justified.
However, in a separate case, Hertel has announced that O’Neill is being charged with several charges related to allegations that he picked up a prostitute in May. He was arrested and booked at the St. Joseph Co. Jail earlier today and then released on a promise to appear for his court dates. The booking charges include official misconduct, ghost employment and public indecency.
Officials say the charges against O'Neill stem from a whistleblower complaint.
The announcement has been emotional. People in the audience have angrily interrupted Hertel during the press conference.
Mmoja Ajabu came to the annoucement representing the Economic Freedom Fighters of Indiana. He says the details presented today were contradictory and he thinks it’s a cover up.
“If the people that’s enforcing the law are breaking the law and then when it comes time for the people to hold them accountable, and then they get away with breaking the law,” he says. “You know there’s something wrong.”
Some of Logan‘s family left in tears.
Black Lives Matter - South Bend issued the following statement:
Today, a Special Prosecutor determined that deadly force used against Eric Logan was justified. Unfortunately, Sgt. O'Neill's body camera was not activated.
Black people across this nation, and the world, know that justice for Black lives is seldom realized. We are deeply saddened by the Special Prosecutor's decision, but we are not surprised.
South Bend Mayor James Mueller, South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski and other city officials held a news conference following the special prosecutor's announcement.
Ruszkowski described his reaction upon hearing the whistleblower complaint.
“I mean you can use your imagination,” he says. “I was flabbergasted, I was sick to my stomach, just on the allegation alone. If there’s any saving grace to this whatsoever it’s that we had a police officer come forward and tell us. That is huge.”
The mayor reacted to the ongoing controversy over the lack of body camera footage.
"It's beyond frustrating that there's no video for the most important moments in this case. Without new evidence we may never know the full truth about Eric Logan's death. This will understandbly continue to cause anger and pain in our community and does not help build the trust that we need," Mueller said.
City leaders are meeting with members of the community this afternoon and at 6pm there will be a vigil at the location where Eric Logan was shot.
