A Macon County Grand Jury has ruled a police-involved shooting by the Auburn Police Division was justified. The grand jury refused to charge the Auburn police officers involved in the April 3 shooting death of Melissa Boarts.
The APD announced the grand jury's decision in press release today.
"The Auburn Police Division stands firmly in support of the officers involved, their necessity to make a split second decision in this situation, and their families who have had to endure pain, hurt, threatening comments caused by false allegations and misinformation that have been proven to be unsupported by the facts of this incident," the release read. "We, again, extend sympathy to the Boarts family for their loss."
Boarts was shot on a Sunday afternoon, April 3, after her parents called police when she got in her car, left and began driving erratically on Interstate 85. Her mother told police she was suicidal and carrying a knife.
Police said they received a call reporting a bipolar, suicidal motorist. Police also said today they did receive the parents' report of the knife. Officers were dispatched to the call. After following Boarts for several miles along Interstate 85, police stopped the car on a rural road in Macon County to "check her welfare."
Boarts was shot and killed on Red Creek Road in Macon County after police said she charged the responding officers with a lock blade knife. Two officers fired at her, with one shot hitting her in the chest and killing her.
She knocked one of the responding officers to the ground, according to police, and his weapon was lost in the altercation.
According to the news release, toxicology screenings of Boarts after her death showed she was intoxicated "beyond the legal limit" when she was operating her vehicle. Police also said she had ingested six medications, and some of them were not prescribed to her.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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