Little Rock police officer won't face charges in deadly shooting

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A white Little Rock police officer who fatally shot a black man during a traffic stop in February won't face charges in the killing, Pulaski County prosecutors said Friday.

Officer Charles Starks fatally shot Bradley Blackshire on Feb. 22. According to police, Blackshire was driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Starks pulled him over at West 12th Street and Rodney Parham Road. Police said the vehicle was stopped when Blackshire, 30, accelerated and hit Starks. Starks then opened fire.

Prosecutors said Friday that they had reviewed the case and determined that Starks was justified in the killing. The decision was detailed in a four-page letter from Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley to Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey.

The letter says Starks was "confronted with the imminent threat of deadly force" in two ways, one of which was the vehicle traveling toward him. The second was a "reasonable belief" that Blackshire, who he believed to be armed, was going to shoot him.

Because the car was reported as stolen, the letter says Starks was in his rights to block in the vehicle Blackshire was driving, and had reasonable cause to believe Blackshire had committed a felony.

The letter says Starks ordered Blackshire to get out of the car at least 12 times, but Blackshire refused.

The statements also say Starks told investigators he crossed over in front of the car because was trying to seek cover, afraid Blackshire was going to shot him.

The letter says a loaded .45 caliber handgun was located in Blackshire's car after the shooting.

An attorney for the Blackshire family accused Starks of using excessive force. His family pleaded for justice before Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and the City Board of Directors in March.

"As a citizen, I'm asking you guys to help me, help my family, to help our community right now," Blackshire's mother Kimberly Blackshire-Lee said.

News of Starks' criminal exoneration came a day after Humphrey held a news conference in which he addressed public concerns about the case. A protest over the shooting temporarily closed the Broadway Bridge two days earlier. Other protests have been planned.

Starks was relieved of duty while police investigated the shooting. He was still employed by the department but was stripped of his weapon and credentials.

Police said Friday that an internal investigation of the incident had been completed. Findings were expected to be released in about two weeks.

Little Rock police records show that Starks was suspended from the department for nearly a month in 2016. The previous year, he was involved in two crashes and had one citizen complaint filed against him.

Friday evening, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. released a statement saying, "Whether or not you agree with Prosecuting Attorney Jegley's decision, the fact remains that there is a Little Rock mother grieving the loss of her son."

He also encouraged Little Rock citizens to remain peaceful.

Omavi Shakur, Attorney for the Blackshire family released a statement to KATV saying "Charles Starks's actions were criminal. The family disagrees with the Prosecutor's decision and we will be undeterred in our pursuit of justice. We ask that the community not give the authorities any excuse to further neglect their responsibility to make amends for this devastating tragedy. Let us be constructive in the wake of Starks's destructive actions. We seek justice, not retribution. Retribution without justice does nothing to help us reach our ultimate goal of ensuring that no family has to experience what we are going through right now."

The letter from Jegley to Humphrey is below.