ORLANDO, Fla. — State investigators have called the fatal shooting of an unarmed hospital patient inside Orlando Regional Medical Center “justified.”
The state investigation cleared the three Orlando police officers who shot and killed the man in October 2018.
Officials said the patient, 33-year-old Brian Baker, repeatedly threatened that he had a gun and would start firing.
READ: Officers shoot, kill unarmed man at ORMC claiming to have gun, police say
Officers said Baker was found unarmed after being shot four times, but he spent two hours with his hand inside his shirt insisting he had a gun and would use it inside the emergency room.
At the time, Orlando’s then-police chief, John Mina, said his officers had no choice but to shoot, and now a review by the state attorney’s office agrees.
In a letter to Orlando police, the chief assistant state attorney found reasonable force was used when Officers Paul Evancoe, Elio Florin and Daniel Robertson shot and killed Baker.
READ: 9 Investigates: Family of man shot in ER questions police response
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