After a complete review, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office concluded Cleveland Metroparks Rangers Chelsea McLellan and Kyle Schultz were justified in their use of deadly force against Derek Stokes in December 2015.
Officials said the case was presented to a Grand Jury and its members agreed that McLellan and Schultz were "reasonable and justified" in the incident that left Stokes shot and killed.
The two officers returned fire and the Stokes was shot once.
All three were taken to MetroHealth Medical Center. Cleveland EMS said that the second officer was struck by shattered glass.
The two officers were transported in stable condition and did not sustain life-threatening injuries. Stokes was transported in full arrest, authorities said.
In a letter sent Monday to Cleveland Metroparks Chief Ranger Dan Veloski, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty wrote, “Any officer situated in a similar position, and faced with similar facts, would have acted in a similar fashion to end the deadly threat posed by Mr. Stokes.”
Although Stokes was handcuffed, he was able to get his hands in front of him to get the pistol he had hidden.
“(Mr. Stokes) had fired at Ranger McLellan from close range and continued to shoot at her and at Ranger Schultz. He ignored repeated commands to surrender and continued his efforts to escape, all the while holding a gun,” McGinty wrote in his letter to Veloski. “The Rangers had no choice but to return fire. Indeed, their lives and potentially those of others in Cleveland Police Headquarters and beyond depended on ending the threat posed by Mr. Stokes."
“Given his use of deadly force against them, the Rangers used the only alternative available to protect themselves, other fellow officers and the community.”
