Department of Justice Closes Investigation of S&O Client Without Charges in Ohio Police Shooting

JULY 2017

On July 11, 2017, the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced that, after completing a thorough and independent investigation, they will not pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against Officer Sean Williams of the Beavercreek, Ohio police department, in connection with the fatal shooting of an armed man in a Wal-Mart store in August 2014.  Schertler & Onorato partners David Schertler and Danny Onorato represented Officer Williams in the lengthy federal investigation, which resulted in a finding by the Department of Justice that there was “insufficient evidence to establish that Officer Williams acted with the requisite criminal intent necessary to pursue a federal prosecution.”  An Ohio grand jury previously declined to charge Officer Williams in the incident as well.