Houston policeman in the clear

The grand jury declined to indict Juventino Castro, who was off duty but working a private security job at a mall, when he fatally shot 26-year-old Jordan Baker in January.

Castro was in his police uniform when he confronted Baker, whom he suspected of being a burglar targeting the mall. Police say there was a struggle between the two, and Baker ran but then charged back at the officer. Castro fired his gun once.

Baker's mother said Castro, who is Hispanic, wrongly profiled her son as a criminal based on his race and clothing. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson expressed his sympathy for the Baker family.

"I know they are disappointed, but the grand jury's decision means they found there was no probable cause to believe a crime was committed," Anderson said.

Recent similar decisions by grand juries in other states have prompted major unrest. In November, a Missouri grand jury declined to indict white police officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

Earlier this month, a New York grand jury cleared Daniel Pantaleo, a white police officer who applied a chokehold grip to unarmed black man Eric Garner, who later died. After that judgment, the US Attorney General Eric Holder launched an investigation into Garner's death.

The decisions have sparked a national debate in the US about race and the role it plays in police interactions with the public.

jr/jm (Reuters, AP)