Police officer cleared of any criminal liability in shooting

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – Prosecutors say a police officer in North Carolina who fatally shot a man during an attempted undercover drug purchase has been cleared of any criminal liability.

District Attorney Greg Newman said Tuesday that Hendersonville Police Officer Brandon McGaha has been cleared of any criminal liability.

News outlets report that Newman told the State Bureau of Investigation and Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake that he found the November shooting to be justified.

Blake has said that 32-year-old Rufus Cedric Baker was shot by McGaha as he tried to escape during an arrest. McGaha said Baker appeared to be reaching for a weapon in his waistband.

The district attorney recommended that the SBI close its file on the shooting since it was justifiable.