Officer Cleared of Wrongdoing in Shooting Death

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A coroner's jury has found a Billings police officer was justified in shooting a suspect who had climbed in the front of a police car, knocked down the officer and was driving away with at least two guns in the vehicle.

The jury deliberated for less than 15 minutes Wednesday before reaching its verdict in the Jan. 6 shooting of Daniel Brawley by Officer Dave Punt.

Brawley was arrested after a standoff and was in the back of Punt's car with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Punt was talking to another officer when Brawley climbed into the front seat and started driving away. He knocked Punt over as he tried to open the car door.

Punt testified he felt he had no choice but to try to stop Brawley because there were guns in the car.