Early Thanksgiving morning, a man was shot in the neck by a Paradise police officer after a brief chase and a crash. That man, Andrew Thomas, died Saturday.
The shooting happened as Thomas was attempting to exit his rolled over vehicle. It spurred controversy, especially after Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey cleared officer Patrick Feaster of any criminal wrongdoing.
Protesters in Paradise, and people across the country responding to national and global coverage of the shooting, have been critical of two main issues: Why did Officer Feaster have his finger on the trigger? And why did he fail to alert any other emergency personnel for several minutes?
A Change.org petition calling for police accountability following the shooting has nearly 1,500 signatures.
The crash killed 23-year-old Darien Ehorn. Thomas's blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit.
Ramsey said that Feaster's actions were negligent, but not criminally so. An internal affairs investigation is ongoing.
Additional details reported Saturday by the Paradise Post:
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Saturday night that he will re-evaluate the case. He said they can look at criminal negligence again. Before Thomas’ death, criminal negligence required intent and purposeful pulling of the trigger, but that standard isn’t in play now. The FBI has been briefed on the shooting and the video, and the State Department of Justice has been on the case since it began.
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