'Shots fired! 1 down:' Police audio sheds new light on officer-involved shooting that killed Donte Shannon

Donte Shannon

RACINE -- New evidence from the Wisconsin Department of Justice is shedding more light on the fatal officer-involved shooting of Donte Shannon by two Racine police officers in January. Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson on Tuesday, March 20 ruled the shooting justified, and said Shannon had a handgun when he fled a traffic stop near 14th and Park on Jan. 17.

Racine police officers don't wear body cameras, but audio from the incident, along with squad car dashcam video offers a glimpse at what happened.

Police audio: "Eastbound on 14th and Park. Male black. Red hoodie. Blue jeans.

Radio traffic reveals the moments leading up to a confrontation between Racine Police Department Investigator Chad Stillman and Officer Peter Boeck -- and Donte Shannon.

Police audio: "Southbound Park. Eastbound through the yard.

Police say officers were attempting to pull over Shannon, 26, for driving with a revoked license when he got out of his car and ran. Less than 20 seconds later, officers drew their weapons.

Donte Shannon shooting

Police audio: "Shots fired! We're OK. One down. Send EMS. He's still moving. Still moving. Shots!"

What the audio doesn't reveal, according to an 820-page report from the DOJ, is that Shannon pointed a 9mm handgun at police, three separate times.

Donte Shannon shooting

Police audio: "Officers are fine. We have one down. We need rescue. We still got him at gunpoint. He's still not cooperating. He still has a gun in his hand. He has been shot. We need to safely approach. He's in custody and they're rendering aid."

The two officers fired 21 rounds, and 10 of the bullets struck Shannon -- eight in the back of his body, according to the DOJ report.

"There's no reason for the cops to have shot him that many times," said Mary Myers, Shannon's grandmother.

Donte Shannon

Shannon's family members have said he didn't pose a threat, but DA Hanson noted in a statement announcing her decision not to charge the officers: "Mr. Shannon, while he was in a prone position, with his weapon underneath him, had much faster action time than did the officers who were forced to react."

Evidence in the report also shows Shannon's DNA was found on the 9mm handgun, and there were injuries to his hand consistent with him having had his finger on the trigger.

Donte Shannon

The weapon was registered to his father, who said very little after meeting with the district attorney Tuesday evening.