Pasadena police opened fire on the 19-year-old under the false belief he was carrying a gun. (Creative Commons)

The Los Angeles Times reported the Los Angeles County district attorney's office released a report that said the officers had reason to believe false reports that McDade was armed with a gun based on a 911 caller's tip.

At the time, McDade's death incited controversy and was often compared to the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida by George Zimmerman.

According to the Times, the March 24 shooting prompted four inquiries and a lawsuit by McDade's family.

From Deputy Dist. Atty Deborah A. Delport: "The actions of McDade during the pursuit in conjunction with the information known to the officers at the time of the shooting reasonably created a fear of imminent death or serious bodily injury. Once the officers perceived that McDade posed an apparent lethal threat their response with deadly force was justified."

Read the full story here, and more of Neon Tommy's coverage of Kendrec McDade's death here.

Reach Executive Producer Catherine Green here. Follow her here.