A northeastern Pennsylvania prosecutor says a police officer was justified in shooting an intoxicated man to death during an early morning confrontation at a Hazleton home last fall.
Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said Wednesday that the evidence in the Oct. 5 shooting of 26-year-old Jonathan Garay was “clear.”
Hazleton police responded to a fight at the residence and chased Garay onto the rear porch, where authorities said he grabbed a gun and tried to raise it toward the officers.
Family members had challenged the police account, saying Garay was shot inside the home, but Salavantis said shell casings and a bullet hole were consistent with police accounts.
She said a preliminary estimate indicated that Garay's blood-alcohol content was about 0.35 percent, far above the 0.08 percent limit for driving.
