Grand jury declines to charge Huber Heights officer involved in April shooting

BUTLER TWP. — A Huber Heights police officer will not face charges in connection to a shooting earlier this year.

A Montgomery County grand jury declined to indict the officer who shot a suspect on Miller Lane in April, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed. The officer was previously identified as K9 Officer Shawn Waler.

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On April 13, police were called out to the Days Inn on Miller Lane on reports of shots being fired.  Around that time, a woman called and said that Taevion Booker had shot at her. It was reported Booker, 24, then left the Days Inn and headed toward Arby’s on Miller Lane, News Center 7 previously reported.

Butler Twp. Police Chief John Porter previously said that at the time of the call, several other officers were on priority calls and weren’t able to respond, so a call for mutual aid. That was when two Huber Heights officers responded to Miller Lane.

Waler found Booker walking on Miller Lane and activated his emergency lights before approaching him.

Waler ordered Booker to stop twice, put his hands up, and face away from the officer. At that time, a Butler Twp. officer arrived on the scene. As the officer walked toward Booker and Waler, the Huber Heights officer fired three shots at Booker.

Police shared body and cruiser camera video from the shooting. In it, they previously pointed out, what police described as Booker lowering his hands to pull up his pants and pull out a gun. The video showed Waler yelling at Booker to drop the gun before firing the shots.

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A gun could be seen falling from Booker’s right hand to the ground in the video.

Booker was hospitalized as a result of the shooting. He was charged with discharge of a firearm on or near a prohibited premises less than a week later. There is an active warrant out for his arrest, according to Vandalia Municipal Court records.

Waler was placed on administrative leave after the shooting but returned to full duty a little over a month after the shooting on May 18.

The Ohio Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into the shooting and referred their findings to the prosecutor’s office in May, a spokesperson previously told News Center 7.

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