Concord Police Chief Releases Statement After DA’s Decision To Not Charge Officer In Brandon Combs Shooting
The Latest:
Following the District Attorney’s decision to not press charges, Concord Police Chief Gary Gacek released a statement on Wednesday over his decision to fire Officer Timothy Larson for his involvement in the shooting death of Brandon Combs.
Officer Timothy Larson was fired for repeatedly making false statements and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement’s investigation into the shooting death of Brandon Combs, according to a news release.
Chief Gary Gacek’s released the following statement on the incident:
“This tragedy has caused enormous grief for the Combs’ family, and we continue to extend our deepest condolences to them. Immediately after the officer-involved shooting, I requested an independent investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to ensure confidence in the investigation throughout the community. Asking for an outside review is not required by law but it’s the right thing to do.
I respect the independent investigation and the separate independent decision today by the District Attorney to not bring charges against former officer Timothy Larson.
Outside of the independent investigation, the police department conducted our own personnel review of former officer Larson. That review concluded that he repeatedly made false statements, and he refused to cooperate with our review. Because I hold our officers to the highest standards, I fired him for that.
Police officers have a difficult job and ensuring they have the trust of the community is one of the most important ones. We’ll continue to work each day to serve and protect our community in every way possible.”
Update (8/9/22):
After several months of investigating claims of Wrongful Death, Battery, and Assault from the family of Brandon Combs against the city of Concord, The District Attorney’s Office stated it would not charge Officer Larson with any criminal offenses riding out of the incident from February 13th.
Attorneys for Virginia Tayara, whose son Brandon Combs was shot and killed by former Concord Police Officer Timothy Larson, released the following statement today responding to District Attorney Roxann Vaneekhoven’s decision not to file criminal charges against Larson.
The statement reads as follows:
“Of course we’re disappointed. But we’re not surprised. We saw the same willingness to ignore the facts and the law during the Andrew Brown case and we’re seeing it here.
It’s clear that District Attorney Vaneekhoven doesn’t care about the facts. She doesn’t care that Officer Larson shot Brandon Combs four times, paused to call it in, and then shot him again just to make sure he was dead. She doesn’t care that a medical examiner’s office investigation ruled Brandon’s death a homicide. She doesn’t care that Brandon was unarmed or the fact that body camera video shows that Larson was never in the path of the vehicle which means , according to the law, he was in no danger. She doesn’t even care that Officer Larson lied to the agents investigating this shooting.
District Attorney Vaneekhoven thinks that kind of brutality, disregard for human life and contempt for the rule of law is just fine if you wear a badge.”
Original Story (6/29/22):
CONCORD, N.C. – A mother is demanding a now-fired Concord Police Officer be charged with murder.
Her son, Brandon Combs, died after being shot by Officer Timothy Larson in February.
In February, police said the suspect was killed after a physical altercation with the officer after he tried to steal a car at Modern Nissan in Concord.
Attorneys say what they saw on body and dash cam video was completely different.
The video hasn’t been released publicly.
The attorneys say Larson approached Combs, who was trying to start a truck at the dealership.
They also say video shows Combs ran and got inside Officer Larson’s police car.
And they say the officer fired five times, then called into dispatch, before firing once again.
Attorneys argue shooting him for getting in the car is not a justified use of force.
“They took my son. They murdered him. They shot him in cold blood,” Combs mother Virginia Tayara said during a news conference on Tuesday.
Concord Police say Officer Larson was fired last month, after being accused of lying to the SBI, which is investigating the case.
Now it will be up to the Cabarrus County District Attorney’s Office to determine if charges should be filed.
They told attorneys it could take several months to make a decision.
Statement from Concord Police Department:
“At the Concord Police Department, it is our top priority to protect the rights, health and safety of all members of the community and we make it our mission to embrace transparency and accountability. We voluntarily choose to involve the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) following any officer involved shooting in order to ensure an impartial investigation. We continue to cooperate with the SBI, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Combs’ family attorneys. We understand how difficult this time is for the Combs family and we want to ensure they receive the answers they need to heal following the death of their loved one. Which is why to preserve the integrity of the independent review by the SBI and the Cabarrus County District Attorney’s Office, as stated in the factual media release from February 13, we will not be commenting further on the case until the District Attorney’s Office completes their review.”
