US Central Command has confirmed that the servicemember in the video, which caused uproar when it was released, followed the proper rules of engagement. The US Army's Criminal Investigation Command found that, as the truck driver didn't respond to warnings from the American side, the soldier was justified in firing a non-lethal bean bag round. Police officers also use bean bag rounds to apprehend suspects without using deadly force.
The soldier's identity has not been disclosed, though Stars and Stripes reports that "servicemembers in the video wore uniforms, gear and beards similar to those worn by US special operations forces."
The US Army's Criminal Investigation Command "determined there was no criminality" in the incident, according to a statement.
In January, a video entitled "Happy Few Ordnance Symphony" was uploaded to YouTube by an anonymous user before being swiftly taken down. Copies of the video remain on the platform, however. According to Politico, the video contained footage allegedly captured by US troops fighting Daesh's affiliate in Afghanistan.
The controversial shooting portion of the video lasts a few seconds and shows an armored military vehicle passing a civilian truck. The clip, apparently recorded on a helmet camera, shows a shotgun being pointed at the truck's cabin and the window on the driver's side being shattered as if it had been shot. The armored vehicle appears to continue its course. It is not clear from the video whether the driver was harmed.
According to Stars and Stripes, the account that uploaded the controversial footage included the clip as part of a montage set to Kendrick Lamar's "Humble" as part of a scheme to promote a clothing line started by special operations vets.
