A New York grand jury has decided not to indict a police officer who shot and killed a man during a botched marijuana raid.
Jose Colon, a 20-year-old art student, was shot in the head on April 19, 2002, as he emerged from a house upon which several police officers were advancing for a pot raid. Police claimed that Officer Tony Gonzalez’s drawn 9-millimeter submachine gun accidentally fired when he was bumped from behind by another officer.
Police seized a few ounces of bud at the house, and arrested four people on charges of possession.
While awaiting the results of the grand jury, Officer Gonzalez was temporarily assigned to administrative duty, ironically as a “firearms instructor.”
A lawyer for Colon’s family said they would pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.
