Officer cleared in shooting of suspect

• By JOE GYAN JR.
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Nov 6, 2009 - Page: 1B

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A nine-year veteran of the Police Department has been cleared in the April 29 shooting death of an armed robbery suspect during a stakeout, District Attorney Hillar Moore III said Thursday.

An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury declined late Wednesday to indict Cpl. Larry Walters Jr. in the death of 21-year-old Dwight Joseph Ross.

The grand jury considered charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and negligent homicide but returned a no true bill on each charge.

“We appreciate the grand jury’s thorough review of the facts of this case and obviously we agree with their conclusion,’’ police spokesman Sgt. Don Kelly said.

Moore said the case is closed.

“We presented a thorough case,’’ he said, adding the grand jury reached the “appropriate and only outcome in this case.’’

“He (Walters) had no other choice,’’ the district attorney said. “I know he wishes it had never occurred.’’

Walters, 34, shot and killed Ross, a New Orleans native who moved to Baton Rouge by way of Texas after Hurricane Katrina, near a Family Dollar store, 9290 Greenwell Springs Road.

Detectives dressed in street clothes were staking out the store because of a recent rash of armed robberies in the area, police said. They spotted Ross hiding behind a trash bin in the back parking lot of the store at 8:30 a.m. the day of the shooting. Soon after, the store manager drove up and Ross, armed with a handgun, ran toward the manager, police said.

Detectives identified themselves as police officers and ordered Ross to stop, police said.

Ross ran, and detectives chased him to the Courtland Drive house next to the store, police said.

Walters shot Ross three times — once in the upper torso, arm and thigh — after Ross brandished a handgun in the detectives’ direction, police said.

Police said they believe Ross committed armed robberies at nine Baton Rouge businesses between Jan. 5 and April 29.