Milwaukee, December 24 (RHC)-- In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, a prosecutor has decided not to bring charges against a white police officer who fatally shot a mentally ill African-American man.

In April, Milwaukee Officer Christopher Manney responded to a call about a man sleeping in a park. Before Manney arrived, two other officers had already spoken to the man, Dontre Hamilton, and found he was not causing a problem.

But Manney claims that Hamilton resisted when he tried to frisk him, sparking a confrontation, during which Hamilton grabbed Manney’s baton and hit him. Manney opened fire, shooting Hamilton 14 times. The shooting led to Manney’s firing for violating the police department’s policy for handling people with mental illnesses. But now Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm says Manney acted in self-defense.

The shooting of Dontre Hamilton has sparked mass protests in Milwaukee, including a highway shutdown Friday which resulted in 74 arrests. The U.S. Justice Department has announced a federal review of the case.