SAN DIEGO – Two San Diego police officers who earlier this year shot and killed a teenager they thought had a gun were justified in their actions, the District Attorney has found.

In a letter sent to police Chief William Lansdowne and dated Friday, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis ruled the shooting death of 17-year-old Noe Rojas-Godinez on Feb. 10 was legally justified.

Officers Jack Pearson and Paul Galante, who work in the department's Southeastern Division, will face no criminal liability for their actions, Dumanis wrote.

The shooting occurred in Emerald Hills, near Pyramid and Kenwood streets, about 10:50 p.m., after they tried to pull over a Jeep Cherokee for a traffic violation.

Rojas-Godinez, a Mexican native, ran a stop sign and drove the Jeep away from the officers.

They followed the teenager into the driveway of a home on Bollenbacher Street, where he turned off the Jeep's headlights. Officials said they later learned that Rojas-Godinez did not know the residents of the home.

As officers approached the Jeep, Galante saw what appeared to be a gun on the passenger seat and yelled to warn his partner, Dumanis' letter said. Pearson grabbed the driver's wrists, but the teen was able to pull free.

Rojas-Godinez shifted the SUV into reverse and crashed it into the police car, authorities said. The SUV then moved forward, and the officers opened fire. Galante shot 15 rounds and Pearson fired three, the letter said.

The SUV then hit a garage door, backed up and lurched forward again, turning toward an officer before it finally crashed into a parked car.

The District Attorney's letter said the gun on the seat turned out to be a blue plastic toy handgun with a red tip.

Statements from residents who heard what happened support the officers' accounts, officials said.

A Medical Examiner's autopsy report found that Rojas-Godinez died of multiple gunshot wounds. Toxicology tests showed that he was under the influence of methamphetamine and had a small amount of amphetamine in his system when he died.

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