Off-Duty Cop Who Shot & Killed Unarmed Woman is Acquitted

Tom Joad · #1 05-23-2015, 12:49 PM

Here's another one, even more unfuckingbelieveable than the one in Cleveland.

In this one the judge claims that the charges were not severe enough. So the Cop walks.

Quote:

Chicago, IL– An off-duty police officer who shot and killed Rekia Boyd will remain free, after a judge found him not guilty on charges of killing the 22-year-old woman. Despite purposely and willfully pulling out his weapon and firing into a group of people, the officer was only charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct, and reckless discharge of a firearm.

On March 21, 2012, Chicago Police Officer Dante Servin, was off-duty when he became upset about noise from people who were walking to a store near a park. The officer parked in an alley and confronted Rekia Boyd and three friends, telling them to quiet down. When the two young men in the group talked back to the officer, he slowly pulled out of the alley. He then brandished his service weapon and fired five shots over his shoulder while sitting in his car as the group had their backs to him.

One of the shots hit Boyd’s boyfriend in the hand, while another hit Boyd in her head. The bullet ricocheted inside her head, left to right, back to front and then slightly upward,” according to her autopsy. She was killed immediately.

Servin’s defense claimed, naturally, that “he feared for his life.” The defense claimed that Servin saw Cross pull a gun from his waistband and point it at him, causing him to fire in self-defense. No gun was found at the scene.

As outrageous as this story is, the judge some how decided to allow this killer to remain free.

“Simply put, the evidence presented in this case does not support the charges on which the defendant was indicted and tried. There being no evidence of recklessness as a matter of law, there is no evidence to which the state could sustain its burden of proof as to the fourth element of the charge of involuntary manslaughter,” Judge Dennis Porter stated. “Therefore, there is a finding of not guilty on all counts and the defendant is discharged.”

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cou...rK99wpoX4SM.99

donquixote99 · #2 05-23-2015, 01:47 PM

Fascinating.

Here's part of the judge's statement, quoted in another place:

Quote:

While speaking from the bench, Porter suggested prosecutors should have actually charged Servin with murder. "The act of intentionally firing a gun at some person or persons on the street is an act that is so dangerous it is beyond reckless; it is intentional, and the crime, if there be any, is first-degree murder," he said.

Here is the text of a comment from a reader:

Quote:

It's repeatedly misreported that Servin filed over his shoulder into a crowd. The evidence at trial showed, however, that he aimed at Antonio Cross, who was 3 to 5 feet from him. Cross was not in a crowd; he was alone. Boyd was struck because she was 20-30 feet behind Cross (in the line of fire).

Assuming Boyd was not targeted but was killed, this, on the face of it, is precisely the sort of culpable reckless deadly act specified in the manslaughter statute. One has to conclude that the fix was in. You've heard of jury nullification? This was 'judge nullification.'

I wonder if it would violate double jeopardy to try him for the attempted murder of Cross. Probably....

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