Justin Lee Banta

Deadly force

Banta was involved in a fender bender and fled in his other. Police responded to the scene, and later found Banta's other nearby. An hour after police located the other, Banta was seen taking items from it, and officers again returned to the scene. Banta fled on foot and was pursued by officers. Banta fired at an officer from a hiding spot under a bridge. Officer Rick Stevenson testified that he saw the silhouette of Banta underneath the bridge and was able to make out the gleam of a gun and a puff of smoke just before he was shot. Stevenson said he fell onto the ditch's southern bank, rolled onto his back and returned fire with a semiautomatic assault rifle. Other officers positioned along the ditch unloaded their .40-caliber pistols into Banta, who was hit with 10 full rounds and peppered with numerous bullet fragments that ricocheted off the bridge's cement embankment, killing him.