WASHINGTON — Loudoun County’s chief prosecutor says a police officer’s fatal shooting of a suicidal 17-year-old boy with a knife was a justifiable use of lethal force.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Bowman says the officer faced “an immediate and real threat” when Christian Alberto Sierra brandished a knife in May.
Bowman on Thursday issued a report into the shooting, which occurred after a Purcellville police officer responded to a call about a 17-year-old threatening suicide.
The report says the police officer had backed away from Sierra, before shooting him.
“It’s very clear that this is a situation where the officer was justified in his use of lethal force,” said James Plowman, Loudoun County Commonwealth’s attorney.
“He was faced with an immediate and real threat.”
A Loudoun County resident who identified himself as Richard Weidener attended the news conference outside the Loudon County Courthouse in Leesburg.
He disagreed with the finding that the shooting was justified, “They killed a kid they shouldn’t have.”
Weidener said he was further upset by the report.
“There’s no advocate for Christian Sierra in this,” he said, indicating toward the report he held in his hands.
Sierra was a student at Loudoun Valley High School.
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WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this story. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on WTOP Facebook page.
