St. Joseph County Prosecutor decides not to file charges after fatal shooting in May
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's office ruled a shooting death at a South Bend gas station in May a justified shooting.
The prosecutor's office determined not to file criminal charges after a man, identified as Jerry Barnette, 56, of South Bend, died from injuries in a shooting, police said.
Through an investigation by the department's Violent Crimes Unit, South Bend Police said two people involved in a May 21 shooting were found. Barnette was found with gunshot injuries inside Logan Quick Mart at the 300 block of South Logan Street, and a second person shot, a juvenile, was found in Mishawaka.
Barnette was pronounced dead at the scene, police said June 17. The juvenile found in a Mishawaka residence was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the department said.
An investigation connected the juvenile to the scene on Logan Street, police said.
All case facts and evidence from the shooting, including surveillance video, were reviewed and found that Barnette and the juvenile were talking outside of the business when the juvenile walked away and into the quick mart, police said in a press release. Barnette followed the juvenile inside and "re-engaged with the juvenile, armed with a firearm," police said. Barnette and the juvenile shot at each other before police were contacted, the press release said.
After reviewing facts and evidence regarding the incident, the prosecutor's office determined that self-defense could not be disproven and therefore decided not to file charges against the juvenile, police said.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend May gas station shooting ruled justified by prosecutors
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