No indictments for Dallas officers who killed man holding screwdriver

A Dallas County grand jury declined to indict two Dallas police officers who killed a mentally ill man holding a screwdriver in June 2014.

Officers arrived on scene and were confronted by Jason Harrison, 39. Harrison had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and had been in and out of the hospital for more than a decade.

Harrison was at the front door of the home and officers asked him to drop the screwdriver. He didn't and both officers fired at Harrison. The incident was recorded on the officer's body cameras.

Harrison's family said Jason didn't pose a threat to officers. Dallas police claimed Harrison had lunged at the officers.

A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed by the family in Nov. 2014 and seeks unspecified damages.

An attorney representing both officers said their thoughts and prayers were with "every family who is struggling with mental illness."

"There are no winners in this situation," said attorney Chris Livingston.

The attorney for the Harrison family maintained the police overreacted.

The video tape shows that our client Jason Harrison the decedent was not lunging wasn't stabbing, wasn't placing either one of these officers in imminent fear or death or bodily injury so we firmly believe that it was excessive force," said attorney Geoff Henley.

.

 FOX 4 is on YouTube -- http://bit.ly/fox4subscribe