The Mississippi Attorney General’s office has announced that grand jury has found no criminal wrongdoing in the case of an officer involved in a fatal shooting in Hancock County in December 2022 that ultimately cost him his law enforcement career.

As a result of this incident, the Department of Justice announced earlier this year that it would not file charges on K9 Deputy Chase Blackwell if he agreed to surrender his law enforcement license and certification, and to never serve in law enforcement again, according to court records.

On Monday, Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office released the following statement:

“The Office of the Attorney General completed its review into the December 10, 2022, incident involving an officer-involved shooting in Hancock County and presented it to the Hancock County grand jury last week. The grand jury reported that it found no criminal conduct on behalf of the officer involved.

As such, no further criminal action will be taken by this Office in this matter. Pursuant to Section 45-1-6 of the Mississippi Code, review by the Office of the Attorney General and the subsequent presentation to the Hancock County grand jury followed an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.”

The shooting took place in Kiln on Dec. 10, 2022, when deputies from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department were responding to a burglary call around 7:30 a.m.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department said deputies came into contact with 21-year-old Isaiah Winkley, who had allegedly burglarized the home. Shots were fired, and Winkley was killed. Officer Chase

The Sun-Herald reports that “The 21-year-old senior at Pensacola Christian College was unarmed at the time of his death, according to court papers.”

THe Sun-Herald reported later in the article that “Blackwell said he wasn’t sure if Winkely had a gun because the 911 caller said his cousin owned the home and had a lot of guns there.”