The U.S. Department of Justice concluded its investigation into the accidental shooting of Kiwane Carrington on Monday, ruling that the evidence “did not establish a prosecutable violation of any federal criminal civil rights statute,” according to a press release.
Carrington, a 15-year-old boy at the time, was killed in October 2009 in a shooting involving Police Officer Daniel Norbits and Police Chief RT Finney.
Carrington and his friend Jeshaun Manning-Carter were in the backyard of a residence at 906 W. Vine St. in Champaign when Finney and Norbits responded to a burglary call at that address. According to reports, a physical struggle between Carrington and Norbits ensued, which led to the officer discharging his firearm.
The investigation came when in 2009 Finney requested that the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated allegations that Finney and Norbits violated the civil rights of Carrington when he was shot and killed.
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“We have closed our investigation and, based on current information, do not plan to take any further action,” said James Lewis, U.S attorney for the central district of Illinois, and Mark Kappelhoff, section chief of the Civil Rights Division, in a letter to Finney.
Finney maintained his confidence in the police department and responded with hopes of moving forward.
“This incident has been reviewed by independent agencies on local, state and federal levels with the same conclusion,” Finney said in a press release. “We are confident of the thoroughness of all investigations and satisfied that the outcomes were all the same. This was a very tragic incident for all involved, and the closure of this investigation will help us all move forward.”
The end of the investigation is just the latest in a series of finalities in the case. The Champaign City Council approved a $470,000 settlement between the family of Kiwane Carrington and the City of Champaign in September, which Carrington’s family said they would not accept. In April, charges against Manning-Carter alleging that he aggravated resisting a police officer in the incident were dropped.
A copy of the letter to Chief Finney can be seen here.
