911 caller won't be charged in Ohio Wal-Mart police shooting

A 911 caller won't be charged for reporting a man waving a gun in an Ohio Wal-Mart store before police fatally shot the shopper, who'd picked up an air rifle from a shelf, a special prosecutor said Monday.

The grand jury had authority to bring charges against 911 caller Ronald Ritchie if merited but didn't, Piepmeier said in a Monday court filing outlining his findings that no charges are warranted.

A group of people who took interest in the shooting had used an obscure law to push for prosecution of Ritchie, who told investigators he thought the firearm was real.

A Fairborn Municipal Court judge reviewed the filings, including surveillance video synchronized with the 911 recording, and ruled there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Ritchie for misdemeanor making false alarms.

Piepmeier has handled some of Ohio's biggest cases, including a deadly 1993 prison riot and cases involving excessive force by police, but the filers were upset he was the prosecutor appointed to review the 911 caller's role.