ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando police officer, accused of firing into a van of shoplifting suspects, killing one of them, is no longer facing manslaughter charges.
That charge against Officer Anthony Wong Shue was dropped, just eight days after he was indicted.
Newly released court documents show the state attorney decided not to prosecute him.
TRENDING NOW:
- 102-year-old woman evicted so landlord's daughter can move in
- Serial killer Bobby Joe Long executed in Florida
- FC Barcelona soccer club opens training academy in Kissimmee
- Bears honk horn, mangle seats while breaking into Florida family's truck
The State Attorney's Office said it found it would have been difficult to get a conviction in this case and that played a part in the decision not to pursue the manslaughter charge.
Last week, a grand jury indicted Wong Shue for an officer-involved shooting in May of 2018 in the parking lot of Colonial Plaza near Bumby Avenue.
"This is highly unusual that it took a grand jury indictment for the state to evaluate whether or not they could prove the case beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt," said Channel 9 legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.
Juan Silva was a suspect in a shoplifting bust at a Marshalls store, officers said.
Police were responding to a crash nearby when they were called to the shoplifting incident.
When they got there, they told Silva to stop his van but he drove away and Wong Shue and another officer fired their guns.
The other officer was cleared for his involvement by the State Attorney's Office.
In a statement, State Attorney Aramis Ayala's office said in part, "Although a grand jury found probable cause to move forward and charge the officer involved in the shooting, when my team of prosecutors considered the evidence in light of the anticipated interpretation of the facts and current state law, it became apparent it would be incredibly difficult to obtain a conviction."
The move means the State Attorney's Office is not prosecuting Wong Shue at this time, but they are able to file a charge again at a later date.
#breakingnews Prosecutor @SAAramisAyala will not prosecute officer anthony Wongshue. The decision coming today after a grand jury indicted him on manslaughter a few days ago. #wftv pic.twitter.com/njrsFYnhwg
— Shannon Butler (@SButlerWFTV) May 24, 2019
#breaking. Charges have been dropped against an Orlando police officer just indicted a few days ago! #wftv
— Shannon Butler (@SButlerWFTV) May 24, 2019
DOWNLOAD: Free WFTV News & Weather Apps
Not near a TV? Click here to watch WFTV newscasts live
Cox Media Group