Officer-Involved Shooting Was Justifiable Homicide

The Washington County District Attorney and Washington County Coroner held a joint press conference on Friday, regarding a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened in Monongahela over the summer. During the statement, District Attorney Jason Walsh said the shooting was a justifiable homicide. On July 24, Cody Bennett was shot and killed by a police officer. Bennett was reportedly at a kids’ birthday party when he was asked to leave. Walsh said witnesses told police Bennett returned to the party and told the people there to go in the house because he did not want to kill them. He later tried kicking the door of the house down and fired two shots through it. Officers who arrived at the scene said they commanded Bennett several times to not pick up an object at his feet, which they later discovered was a handgun. Bennett allegedly fired two shots at the officers and fled. Authorities say that at one point Bennett, pointed a gun at a woman in her front yard. Officers told him to lower his weapon multiple times but shot him after he did not. The coroner, Tim Warco, said Bennett had a .21 blood alcohol level and marijuana in his system.