KNOE-TV; TV8; Monroe News; KNOE.com |DA steps away from racially charged shooting case
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Associated Press - December 2, 2009 1:24 PM ET
HOMER, La. (AP) - A north Louisiana district attorney says the case of an elderly black man who was shot to death last February by a white police officer will go to a grand jury, but will he handled by the state attorney general's office.
Claiborne Parish District Attorney Johnathan Stewart said Wednesday he is stepping away from the case to avoid any appearance of favoritism or conflict of interest. Stewart said in a news release that Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell's office will present the case to a Claiborne Parish grand jury in January.
Seventy-3-year-old Bernard Monroe was shot outside his home by 1 of 2 white Homer police officers who had been chasing his son. Police said Monroe was armed. Witnesses dispute that. The officers have since resigned.
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