Grand Jury Declines to Indict Cop Who Shot and Killed Man Through Her Car Window
In a "very fair and thorough process," according to the county attorney.
In June, Ryan Bollinger allegedly jumped out of his car in Des Moines, Iowa, while police were stopping someone else, danced erratically, then got back into his car and drove to another cop car. There, authorities allege he advanced at the police vehicle, which was when Officer Vanessa Miller fired at him once through her window, killing him.
Now, a grand jury has cleared Miller of any wrongdoing. The Des Moines Register reports:
Polk County Attorney John Sarcone told the Register Wednesday that the seven-member jury decided not to indict Officer Vanessa Miller for shooting 28-year-old Ryan Keith Bolinger on June 9.
"After reviewing every piece of available evidence, they decided not to indict," Sarcone said. "The grand jury process is a very fair and thorough process."
Last week, activists affiliated with Black Lives Matter released a set of policy goals, dubbed "Campaign Zero," to limit police killings and excessive use of force. A number of the proposals would be helpful in the case of Bollinger—among them independent prosecutors for such cases, de-escalation policies, and tighter discipline of officers who use excessive or fatal force.
