Two US police officers exonerated over black man’s death

24-year-old Jamar Clark was fatally shot by US police in an altercation in November 15, 2015.

Two US police officers involved in the fatal shooting of an African American man in Minneapolis, Minnesota last year won’t be disciplined, authorities say.

Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze shot 24-year-old Jamar Clark in an altercation in November 15, 2015. Clark died of his wounds the following day.

Officers Ringgenberg (L) and Schwarze

According to eyewitnesses, the man was shot “execution-style” as he was handcuffed, but Minneapolis police insisted that Clark was not in handcuffs.

His death led to protests in cities across the US that lasted several weeks and many people, including human rights activists, participated in the demonstrations.

On Friday, Chief Janee Harteau said the officers were warranted in using deadly force, citing an internal investigation.

"These officers did not dictate the outcome of this incident," Harteau said. "I can say with absolute certainty that I support the actions of Officers Ringgenberg and Schwarze the night of Nov. 15."

Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau (file photo)

Following the announcement, an attorney for Clark’s family said they were anguished and frustrated by the decision.

“To say they couldn’t find any policy violation verges on the absurd,” said Albert Goins.

Several US police killings of African Americans have sparked nationwide protests in the country over the past two years.

Protesters rally outside of the Hennepin County Courthouse calling for justice for Clark on March 30, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by AFP)

In 2015, US police fatally shot nearly 1,000 people of which 90 were unarmed and did not possess weapons of any kind during a confrontation, according to a year-long study by the Washington Post.

According to a poll released in August, two-thirds of young African Americans said that they or someone they know had experienced police violence or harassment.

The GenForward poll found that 66 percent of African Americans aged 18-30 and 4 in 10 Hispanics said they had personally experienced violence or harassment at the hands of the police.