The Lancaster County Attorney’s Office won’t be filing charges against a 23-year-old man who was initially arrested last week in the shooting death of his brother inside the Casey’s General Store at 13th and ‘E’ Street.
In a news release issued Tuesday morning, Pat Condon’s office said prosecutors immediately began reviewing all available evidence, a process that has continued over the past six days. With Emmanuel Greenwalt-Claypool’s court appearance approaching, the attorney’s office has determined that no criminal charges will be filed at this time.
Condon’s office says this decision allows additional time for the investigation to continue. Claypool was booked for 2nd degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and 2nd degree assault. In a statement, his office said the investigation conducted so far shows that Claypool saw Jarell Wheeler inside the convenience store. “Mr. Claypool stated that he became concerned based on Mr. Wheeler’s behavior and his personal knowledge of Mr. Wheeler, according to the statement.
“The evidence to date indicates that Mr. Claypool was not the initial aggressor, did not start the physical confrontation, and that Mr. Wheeler rushed toward him with a raised fist,” according to the county attorney’s office. It also indicates that Claypool stayed at the scene after the incident, cooperated with law enforcement, and stated that at the time of the shooting he feared being shot, stabbed, or “stomped” by Wheeler.
“I want to thank the hard-working investigators who have worked tirelessly to impartially investigate this incident. My office’s initial decision has been shared with LPD’s investigators and Mr. Wheeler’s family. Both my office and LPD remain committed to continuing the investigation into Mr. Wheeler’s death,” Condon says.