FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- The Fayetteville Police Department conducted an internal investigation following an April 23 officer-involved shooting and found that the officers were following protocol.
Corporal Patrick Hanby had stopped Willie Tillman for driving without headlights. After Officer Brandon Jones was called to assist, an altercation ensued and Jones eventually fired off multiple shots, striking Tillman in the chest, abdomen, and leg.
Tillman died Monday (May 9) from injuries sustained in the shooting.
"[Jones and Hanby] did everything they could to prevent this tragedy. Unfortunately, it didn’t work the way we wanted it to,” said Sgt. Craig Stout, spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department.
The investigation found that Jones' actions in shooting Tillman were justified and followed Fayetteville Police Department's policy. He was released from paid administrative leave to return to full duty, according to a department press release.
Wednesday (May 11) night, protesters held a vigil outside the police department. Those in attendance held signs which protested the actions of the department, and called for justice for Tillman.
“We do want to see some accountability," said Fernando Garcia, an event organizer. "Hopefully this sparks a conversation between the city and the community about what we can do to prevent shootings like this."
Hanby, who tried to stop Tillman from re-entering his vehicle by force and shot him with a taser, was also cleared during the investigation. He was never taken off active duty.
Investigators used officer statements, audio and video recordings from both officers, physical evidence and independent third party videos while conducting the investigation.
At the request of Fayetteville police chief Greg Tabor, the Washington County Sheriff's Department is also investigating the incident.
Those protesting the shooting said they will circulate a petition which calls for the video of the shooting to be released. Organizers also called for an independent investigation conducted by an agency outside of law enforcement.