St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has closed the investigation into the shooting death of Qavon Webb without charging the police officer who exchanged gunfire with the 23-year-old, shooting at him 13 times on May 5.
The entire incident was captured on Webster Groves Police Officer Brendan McGahan’s dashboard camera. The footage was released publicly in mid-December and shows McGahan pulling over to help a stopped car in the left lane of I-44 in Webster Groves.
McGahan walked up to the car holding a flashlight, at which time Webb opened his car door, lunged toward the officer and fired six shots.
After those shots, Webb can be seen continuing to physically attack McGahan.
McGahan then fired at Webb 13 times, hitting him four times, once in the chest, according to Bell. This portion of the footage is partially obscured by a glare from one of the police car’s headlights.
Webb died at the scene of the shooting. His motive for shooting at McGahan remains unknown. Webb’s bullets did not seriously injure the officer, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest.
“The officer’s use of lethal force was fully justified,” Bell wrote in a statement. “In fact, his use of force — and the protective gear that blocked a gunshot to his chest — saved his own life. We are thankful that the officer reacted quickly, and that his life was spared.”
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the shooting and presented the case to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in late December, according to Bell. The case was reviewed by the Conviction and Incident Review Unit, an independent unit that reviews past convictions and investigates incidents involving police officers.
