The Mecklenburg County District Attorney ruled Wednesday that a fatal police shooting of a man in west Charlotte last year was justified.
Sanrico McGill’s mother called police the morning of Dec. 16 to report she thought her son was firing a gun. She had recently completed involuntary commitment paperwork for him and was waiting for police to take him to a mental health facility.
When officers arrived at the apartment on Catherine Simmons Avenue, they said McGill pointed a pistol at his brother and racked the slide. Three officers shot at McGill, who died on the scene. The 9 mm pistol was later found to be unloaded, but the DA said there was no way for officers to know that at the time.
CMPD Officers Benjamin DeVries, Sean Wercheck, Tymel Carson, and James Fisher were cleared of any wrongdoing and their use of deadly force was legal, District Attorney Spencer Merriweather said.
History of illness
McGill, 34, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia about a decade ago. He had recurrent psychotic episodes. The day before he died, his mother received an involuntary commitment order for him to address his latest psychotic episode. But she was told it would be up to 24 hours before law enforcement officers could come and take McGill into custody.
"C.M. (McGill's brother) described the rest of the night was restless for everyone," the DA's report said. "According to C.M, the decedent would talk to himself, open and shut doors, and yell repeatedly."
When McGill got a gun and fired into the air, his brother told police that he tried to calm McGill down as police arrived. McGill's mother and two brothers came outside and told the officers that McGill was "not mentally well."
Officers told McGill to come out with his hands up, at which point he came outside with the pistol and raised it. He was struck twice.
