Grand jury declines to indict cop in shooting of unarmed man

Grand jury declines to indict cop in shooting of unarmed man

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Noel Polanco Noel Polanco
The funeral for Noel Polanco. The funeral for Noel Polanco.
NEW YORK (AP) -

Lawyers say a grand jury in Queens has voted not to indict a police officer on criminal charges in the fatal shooting of an unarmed National Guardsman during a traffic stop.

Detective Hassan Hamdy shot Noel Polanco, 22, on October 4, 2012, near LaGuardia Airport. No weapon was found in Polanco's car.

Hamdy's lawyer said his client fired after he saw Polanco reaching under his seat with both hands.

Polanco's family has said both hands were on his steering wheel. Polanco family Sanford Rubenstein says they are extremely disappointed by the news. He says the family will meet in the near future with their advisers to determine the best way to move forward "in their quest for justice."

Hamdy could still face departmental charges following an internal review.

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