AG: Des Moines officers justified in shooting death of teen

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police officers who shot and killed a 16-year-old boy who reportedly aimed a gun at them will not be charged, the Iowa Attorney General’s office said.

The officers were legally justified in the shooting on Dec. 26 at the boy’s grandmother’s apartment, according to a report released Wednesday. The teenager was identified in court papers as T.J.

Four officers responding to a report of a domestic dispute involving T.J. and his stepfather found him at a nearby apartment where his grandmother lived.

Police body cameras and witness accounts all verify that T.J. was holding a pistol when officers arrived. He ignored about 70 pleas from officers, a friend and his grandmother to put the gun down during the nearly 5-minute confrontation, according to the report.

T.J. made the statement “I’m going to die” about 40 seconds before aiming his gun at two of the officers. Three of the policemen at the scene shot him a total of 14 times.

The three officers who fired — Noah Bollinger, Zachary Duitscher and Thomas Garcia — have been on leave since the shooting, which is protocol after fatal shootings.

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This story has been corrected to show that the shooting occurred at the grandmother’s apartment, not the grandparent’s apartment.