De'Von Bailey was killed Aug. 3 after he ran away from two officers investigating an armed robbery. A gun was found in his shorts.

Colorado Springs Police Department via AP

Two Colorado Springs police officers who shot and killed a black teen as he was running away will not face charges in his death. De'Von Bailey, 19, was killed on Aug. 3 after he ran away from officers investigating a reported armed robbery. The shooting was captured on body camera video, which showed the officers later recovering a gun from Bailey's body. But attorneys for Bailey's family said the video also showed that Bailey was not threatening officers; he never pointed the gun at anyone and it wasn't visible in the video until after he was shot. Prosecutors handed off the decision as to whether the officers should be charged to a grand jury, and on Wednesday, it released its unanimous finding that the officers were justified in using deadly force. In a Facebook post, Bailey's mother Delisha Searcy asked for prayers. "The officer that murdered my baby will not be held responsible!!! They say it was justified 😡😡😡 PLEASE pray for me!!! My heart is heavy, it’s just not right!!! I just don’t know what to do right now.😞"



An attorney for Bailey's family said the grand jury's decision wasn't a surprise given what he described as a "tainted investigation." "The refusal to allow an independent investigation doomed the chances of a fair outcome from the outset," Darold Killmer told BuzzFeed News. "This is the result that the Colorado Springs DA’s Office and the police wanted, and it’s the decision they caused to happen." But District Attorney Dan May pushed back at the criticism, noting the grand jury was an independent body and had the power to ask questions, subpoena witnesses, and order technical reports as necessary. And, he added, the officer body camera video clearly showed how the shooting happened. "Everyone in the public can see what happened in this case," he told reporters on Wednesday.



On Aug. 3, police were called to a Colorado Springs neighborhood after a 911 call reporting an armed robbery. A man said he was walking down the street when two young men approached him, demanded what was in his pockets, and hit him to the ground. One of the men had a handgun, the caller said, and they took his wallet. The caller said he knew the men and provided descriptions. Sgt. Alan Van't Land and officer Blake Evenson then responded, finding two young men on foot not far from where the caller said the robbery took place. On the body camera video, Van't Land can be heard asking the pair their names and asking them to put their hands up. "We've got a report of two people similar descriptions possibly having a gun, alright?" Van't Land says. "So don't reach for your waist, we're going to just check and make sure that you don't have a weapon, alright?"

Colorado Springs Police Department via AP