Cop "accidentally" shoots DUI suspect, doesn't face ANY charges...

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A Paradise, California, cop who authorities said accidentally shot a DUI suspect in the neck after a pursuit won't face charges, prosecutors said in court Thursday.

Instead, Andrew Nicholas Thomas, 26, faces a charge of drunken vehicular manslaughter after he rolled the SUV he was driving, ejecting and killing his wife, 23-year-old Darien Ehorn

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The video shows Feaster chasing the SUV driven by Thomas when the vehicle careens out of control and flips. Thomas climbs through a window to escape from the overturned Toyota 4Runner. Feaster walks toward the vehicle, pulls his gun and it fires almost immediately. Thomas, wounded in the neck, slumps back into the vehicle.

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District Attorney Mike Ramsey quickly declared the shooting an "accidental discharge." He said on Nov. 27 that the determination was made by examining the video frame by frame. Ramsey said it was clear that Feaster was surprised by the gun firing.

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Ramsey said on Thursday that Feaster didn't mention the shooting until 11 minutes after backup and paramedics arrived.

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When backup arrived on the scene, Feaster did not mention anything about having fired his weapon. According to Ramsey, Feaster notified his commanding officer about the discharge only after Thomas’ gunshot wound was found.

As the commanding officer suggested an officer return to Canteena and try to find out if Thomas had been shot at the bar, Feaster revealed that he may have shot Thomas.

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According to Ramsey, several factors led investigators to believe the shooting was accidental. “The dash cam video shows Officer Feaster was not prepared for and was surprised by the guns firing. The pistol discharges in mid-stride and the officer both flinches his head to the right and does a stutter step indicative of an officer not prepared for nor intentionally firing his pistol. Additionally, officers normally train to fire a minimum of two shots. There was no second shot and the officer immediately holstered his weapon after the discharge.

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Ramsey said the evidence in this case shows the shooting to be accidental, and possibly negligent, but not criminally so. “This shooting is not justified, but also not criminal."

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