No charges for S. Carolina cop who killed 19-year-old during drug sting

No criminal charges will be filed against South Carolina police officer Mark Tiller, who fatally shot 19-year-old Zachary Hammond during a drug sting, a state prosecutor announced Tuesday.

Solicitor Chrissy Adams said that after reviewing the case and applicable law, Tiller, an officer in Seneca, will not face state charges. The U.S. Department of Justice also is investigating, and she said she would not release additional information while federal authorities are deciding whether to bring charges against him.

State officials haven't released dashboard camera video or other documents in the case, and media organizations have sued the state law enforcement division to obtain access to them.

Hammond's family wanted Adams removed from the case because she works closely with local police, but the state Supreme Court rejected the request.

Adams said she announced her decision after meeting Tuesday with members of the Hammond family. The family attorney did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Greg Dietterick, the administrator for Seneca, said in a statement, "We are thankful the investigation has come to an end and shows Lt. Tiller was acting in self-defense. It is now time to start healing Seneca." The town is in upstate South Carolina and is home to about 8,200 people.

Tiller killed Hammond on July 26. Hammond had just taken a woman, Tori Morton, on a first date, during which they got ice cream at McDonald's, then drove to Hardee's so he could get a hamburger, according to a lawsuit filed by his family.

Seneca police said they were waiting at the Hardee's after an undercover officer arranged a drug deal with Morton. As officers pulled up to Hammond's car, with lights flashing, he accelerated to leave, authorities said.

Morton was not injured and later was charged with simple possession of marijuana.

Hammond's family says Tiller threated to blow Hammond's head off during the confrontation — a charge Tiller's attorneys deny. The family also says Hammond was shot through the driver's side window from behind, indicating there was no danger to Tiller when he fired.

Tiller has said through his lawyer that he thought Hammond was threatening to run him over and fired twice to protect himself. City lawyers have said the shooting was justified and that Tiller shot Hammond in self-defense when he drove his car at the officer.

Lawyer Eric Bland has said the family talked to Morton, looked at private surveillance video and commissioned a private autopsy.

The family's lawsuit says that after paramedics determined Hammond was dead, his body was left for 90 minutes on the ground, where it was bitten by ants. A second officer gave Hammond's body a high-five sometime after other investigators arrived, according to the lawsuit.

In legal papers, lawyers have acknowledged that the second officer may have said something about inappropriate contact with Hammond's body.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press