Prosecutor: Officer-Involved Deadly Shooting in Royal Oak Was Justified

ROYAL OAK (AP) — A prosecutor says the fatal shooting of a man by a suburban Detroit officer after police say he sped away from a traffic stop was justified.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton announced the decision Wednesday. Leyton says the Royal Oak officer acted in self-defense and to protect others.

RELATED: Man's Fatal Shooting by Royal Oak Police Reviewed By Prosecutor

Police say the officer pulled over a car April 10 for a traffic violation, but the driver, Antonino Thomas Gordon of Commerce Township, fled and was spotted later in a fast food restaurant drive-thru lane. Police say the officer shot Gordon after he tried to flee again.

Leyton says in a statement that it's "a very tragic incident for all involved," but noted that Gordon's "own actions ... put countless lives at risk."

Family members of Gordon have called the shooting unjustified.

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