Mistrial Declared in Shooting of Black Driver by Cincinnati Officer

[n2doc]

Source: NYT

CINCINNATI — For the third time in a week, the trial of a police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man has ended without a conviction, the latest setback for prosecutors and activists seeking greater accountability for the use of deadly force by the police.

On Friday, a judge found that the jury was hopelessly deadlocked in the retrial of Raymond M. Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot Samuel DuBose, an unarmed motorist, in 2015. The judge, Leslie Ghizfter, declared a mistrial after earlier on Friday urging jurors to keep deliberating. Mr. Tensing’s first trial last fall also ended with a hung jury.

When the Hamilton County prosecutor, Joseph T. Deters, first charged Mr. Tensing with murder and involuntary manslaughter in July 2015, he suggested a path to a conviction would be much easier than this, calling it the most “asinine” police shooting he had ever seen.

But its rocky course in court, after two mistrials, underscores a difficult reality for those who want police officers held criminally liable in cases like these: A conviction is far from assured, even when there is video evidence and an aggressive prosecutor.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/23/us/raymond-tensing-samuel-dubose-cincinnati.html?_r=0&referer=

[inwiththenew]

1. They will have to move the trial if they want any hope of a verdict

There is no chance of getting a unanimous decision at this point in that city unless they go for only a lesser charge than what has been in the last two trials.

[irisblue]

2. Another killing cop gets away with it. nt

[jcmaine72]

3. Not surprised. n/t

[No Vested Interest]

4. Mayor John Cranley, City Manager Harry Black, the Police chief, and a religious leader

have spoken out at a news conference, expressing sympathy for the DuBose family and urging peace in the community for those unhappy with the mistrial decision.

Luckily, it is raining fairly hard and that should help to keep any community unrest tampered down.

[Bayard]

5. I lived in Cincy

For most of the 90's. Every night on the news there was a story about an African American getting beaten/shot/killed by the cops. We used to blame it on DWB--Driving While Black.

Its a very red city, and racial hatred is always bubbling just below the surface. I couldn't wait to move.

[No Vested Interest]

6. The city of Cincinnati is a Democratic-voting city. Hamilton County is red-ish, though

Dems now control the county commissioners, Sheriff's office, and several other county positions.
The Congressional seats have been gerrymandered by Republicans at the state level, so that Dems have not been competitive enough in recent years.

The 90's were a long time ago.