Officer Who Shot Man After Crash No Longer With Paradise Police, May Face Manslaughter Charges

PARADISE (CBS13) — A Paradise police officer has been removed from the department and could face manslaughter charges months after dashcam video showed him shooting an unarmed man.

The unarmed man who was shot has died, and prosecutors say they may file charges against the officer.

Dashcam footage from Nov. 25 shows the driver, 26-year-old Andrew Thomas, crashing his SUV. his estranged wife was ejected from the window and died at the scene. Officer Patrick Feaster walked toward the car and fired one shot, hitting the unarmed Thomas in the neck as he tried to get out through the window.

After 25 seconds, Feaster describes Thomas as being uncooperative.

"I've got an unresponsive female, I've got a male in the car refusing to get out," he said in the dashcam video.

It took Feaster 11 minutes to report firing his gun.

The shooting initially left Thomas paralyzed from the waist down. Thomas died from his injuries on Dec. 19.

On Monday, the Paradise Police Department announced Feaster is no longer employed by the department, is no longer on the payroll and remains the focus of an internal investigation.

Immediately following the shooting, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said he would not charge Feaster in the shooting, calling it an accident.

Hundreds protested the move, calling for Feaster to face charges. After Thomas' death on Dec. 19, Ramsey said he would reconsider potential manslaughter charges. He's awaiting autopsy results.