BILLINGS, Mont. (NMB) – A Yellowstone County Jury has found Billings Police justified in the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Cole Stump of Box Elder back in October 2020.
The decision came following 30 minutes of jury deliberations at the end of a daylong coroner’s inquest on Monday.
Stump was fatally shot by police during a confrontation in a parking lot after police responded to a report of a disturbance.
Stump was shot a total of 11 times by two officers after they say he pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot an Officer while wrestling with them.
The Billings Gazette reports that the Jury was presented with testimony from “detectives, a use-of-force-expert, the medical examiner, an eyewitness, and the four officers involved.” The Jury was not provided evidence that countered the claims of the four officers that were involved. The incident was not captured on video or audio.
Stump’s family has maintained their stance that the shooting was not justified and called for police reform.
