Earlier today, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, based on findings from a report by the State Bureau of Investigation, cleared Officer D.C. Twiddy of any wrongdoing in the February 29 shooting death of Akiel Denkins.
Freeman wrote in the report that “based on all the evidence available, it is the conclusion of the District Attorney that Officer D.C. Twiddy shot Mr. Denkins in self-defense and as a matter of last resort and only because he reasonably believed his life was in danger.”
“This belief can be shown by the fact that Mr. Denkins was armed and grabbed Officer Twiddy’s gun during a struggle,” Freeman continued, “in which Officer Twiddy was attempting to lawfully arrest Mr. Denkins. Officer Twiddy’s decision to use deadly force was a lawful response to the situation and deemed necessary to defend himself.” The basis for the conclusion that Denkins grabbed Twiddy’s gun seems to rely on a skin/cell touch swab on Twiddy’s department-issued Smith and Wesson revolver, as well as Twiddy’s own testimony.
Freeman says that forty-one witnesses were interviewed, of which only two said that they saw the physical shooting happen; the report also says that the statements of those two witnesses didn’t match the physical evidence found at the scene.
You can read the full report here. We’ll update with more information as it comes in.
