Justice Department reviews black teen's shooting by Memphis police

Source: Reuters

The fatal shooting in July of an unarmed black teenager by a white Memphis police officer is being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice, the city's federal prosecutor said on Monday, a month after a grand jury decided not to charge the officer.

Several inquiries have been conducted into the shooting of Darrius Stewart, 19, by Officer Connor Schilling, one of several deaths involving officers around the United States that have raised concerns about excessive use of force by police, especially against minorities.

"The DOJ has been conducting an independent, comprehensive, and careful review of the evidence collected related to the shooting of Mr. Stewart," U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton III of Memphis told a news conference.

Stanton said the review would encompass all of the circumstances surrounding the shooting and was being conducted in tandem with the department's civil rights division, his office and the FBI. He did not disclose details.

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