A 21-page report released today by the district attorney's office said that Larry Ruiz-Barreto "intentionally and unlawfully" used his motor vehicle to imperil the life of Fall River police officer Nicholas Hoar.
FALL RIVER — The Bristol County District Attorney's Office has ruled that the fatal police shooting of a 19-year-old New Bedford man last November near the Fall River Industrial Park was justified.
A 21-page report released today by the district attorney's office said that Larry Ruiz-Barreto "intentionally and unlawfully" used his motor vehicle to imperil the life of Fall River police officer Nicholas Hoar.
The report says Ruiz-Barreto drove at Hoar, who was not in a position to avoid the vehicle and was pushed onto its hood. Even with the officer pressing his firearm against the windshield, investigators said Ruiz-Barreto refused to stop his car.
Hoar shot Ruiz-Barreto after the driver "hit the gas" despite the officer's repeated requests for him to stop and turn off the vehicle. Ruiz-Barreto was later pronounced dead at Charlton Memorial Hospital.
The shooting happened on Nov. 12, just after 11:37 p.m., near Airport and Riggenbach roads. Police radio scanner reports indicate that Hoar was the first one to arrive at the scene, where a drag race was organized.
This story will be updated.
Email Brian Fraga at bfraga@heraldnews.com