Charlotte SWAT officer cleared in shooting of man with body armor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Prosecutors in North Carolina say a Charlotte SWAT officer was justified in shooting and killing a man with a gun wearing body armor who told officers they were going to have to shoot him.

District Attorney Andrew Murray said in a news release that 41-year-old Sylasone Ackhavong could have shot several officers without warning in April and officer Olin Lester was justified firing after Ackhavong refused to put down his gun.

READ MORE: CMPD identify man shot, killed during standoff at convenience store

Murray's report released Wednesday said Ackhavong repeatedly told officers they were going to have to shoot him and saying his death would be on their conscious and not his.

Friends and co-workers told police that Ackhavong suddenly started acting strange seeing ghosts and thinking he was being poisoned about a week before the shooting.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• Charlotte braces for potentially 2-4 inches of snow Saturday
• Dylann Roof: 'I am not sorry' for Charleston church massacre
• Pastor charged in connection with 9 armed robberies in Charlotte
• Man, dog shot after home sprayed with bullets in east Charlotte
• Man shot to death in NW Charlotte marks fourth homicide of 2017

Associated Press