Report: Officer justified in teen’s fatal shooting

LEESBURG, Va. (AP) — A state police investigation has found that a Purcellville officer was justified in fatally shooting a teenager armed with a knife.

At a press conference Thursday, Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney released a Virginia State Police report into the May 24 shooting of 17-year-old Christian Sierra.

According to the report, Sierra was hanging out with friends that night and described wanting to kill himself. The friends called 911 when Sierra began stabbing himself in the throat.

The report concluded that the officer faced an immediate threat when he shot Sierra. Witnesses said Sierra was advancing at the officer with the knife raised when he opened fire.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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