Fort Myers police officer cleared in December shooting
A Fort Myers police officer who shot a suspect in December has been cleared of any wrongdoing.
The State Attorney’s Office said Monday that the officer, who is assigned to the Federal Marshals Fugitive Task Force, was legally justified in using force against the suspect, Belay Berhanu W Mariam.
The officer was in the process of serving a federal arrest warrant on Dec. 20, around 8:45 p.m. on Central Avenue, when Mariam charged the officer while holding a knife, according to FMPD. The officer fired his weapon, and the suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Mariam, 53, was booked into the Lee County Jail on Dec. 29 and faces two counts of aggravated assault on an officer. He remains in custody.
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