A Hannibal (Mo.) Police Department internal investigation concluded that the police officer who fired his service weapon acted according to policy during a vehicle chase Jan. 24, 2015. Sgt. Darrin DeLaPorte said he viewed the car driven by DaMark Rudd as a “dangerous weapon” when he fired into the vehicle, seriously injuring Rudd’s passenger, Matthew Brooks.

Video footage from the patrol car of HPD Officer Chris Walotka showed Rudd nearly struck HPD Cpl. John Willis before plowing between Walotka’s patrol car and a civilian car. As Rudd continued speedily down Main St. towards a theater on a busy Saturday night, DeLaPorte made the split-second decision to utilize his firearm. More than a year after the incident, Marion County Prosecuting Attorney David N. Clayton validated DeLaPorte’s decision. He will not face any charges.