Friday afternoon, Albany County District Attorney David Soares announced the Albany police officer investigated in the shooting of Ellazar Williams would be cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. 

The grand jury decided against indicting Detective James Olsen, who fired the shot that left Williams paralyzed from the waist down on August 20.

According to the DA’s office, there was a disturbance at a conveneince store which led officers on a foot chase with Williams. Witnesses reported Williams also had a gun, but that was never found. 

Soares says the grand jury heard three weeks of evidence, and that a thorough investigation was conducted. In a press release issued Friday, Soares says the three week presentation was led by Chief Assistant District Attorney David Rossi.

"This matter was fully and thoroughly investigated by my staff before being submitted for consideration for potential charges by an independent grand jury. The members of the grand jury considered all of the evidence presented to them ... and weighed all of the factors to determine justification for Detective Olsen’s actions, ultimately finding that his actions fell within the limits of the law,” said the release.

Spectrum News spoke with Alice Green on Friday following the no indictment announcement. Green is a community advocate and founder of the Center for Law and Justice — the organization who had previously called on Soares to step down from the case, citing a conflict of interest.  

Green says she was upset with the presentation. According to Detective Olsen’s account, Williams charged at him with a knife which made the detective fearful for his life and led to the shooting. 

“It’s not what I believe. It is what the detective under the circumstances believes. He believes he discharged his weapon under that belief,” Soares said.  

For Green, that is simply not enough. 

“There are a lot of questions that were not answered. That presentation did not add anything to the community's concerns. I was there at the hospital right after he was shot. The bullet entered his back. I saw it. I touched it,” Green said. 

Williams is now paralyzed from the waist down and requires nearly round the clock care. Despite this, Soares says phase two of his office’s investigation will move forward. 

Williams had been charged with felony menacing and misdemeanor weapons possession, but had yet to be formally indicted by a grand jury. Presently, no timetable has been given for when criminal charges against Williams might move forward. 

DA Soares says the grand jury heard three weeks of evidence, and that a thorough investigation was conducted. In a press release issued Friday, Soares says the three week presentation was led by Chief Assistant District Attorney David Rossi.

"This matter was fully and thoroughly investigated by my staff before being submitted for consideration for potential charges by an independent Grand Jury. The members of the Grand Jury considered all of the evidence presented to them ... and weighed all of the factors to determine justification for Detective Olsen’s actions, ultimately finding that his actions fell within the limits of the law,” said the release.