Officer cleared in shooting of man with BB gun in Raleigh

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Authorities in North Carolina say a police officer acted lawfully when he shot a man who was fleeing on foot with a BB gun.

The Raleigh News & Observer reports that Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman released her findings on Thursday.

A Raleigh police officer had shot Keith Collins six times on Jan. 30. Police said a 911 caller had reported a man with a gun outside a Big Lots store.

Freeman said state law allows officers to use deadly force against what they consider imminent harm, and that being forced to make split-second decisions factors into what is reasonable.