The former police officer who fatally shot a black motorist after a police chase in 2011 was found not guilty on Friday, September 15.
St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson found ex-cop Jason Stockley not guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith.
In 2011, Stockley and his partner chased Smith after they witnessed him in an alleged drug sale in a restaurant parking lot. According to police reports, as Smith tried to get away from officers in his car, Stockley opened fire.
After a brief high-speed chase, Stockley and his partner crashed into Smith's vehicle. Following the chase, Stockley approached Smith's car firing a shot into his chest. Stockley, who pleaded not guilty, maintained that he fired his weapon because he feared for his life.
Stockley claimed Smith was reaching for a gun. However, prosecutors argued that Stockley planted the gun that was found in Smith's car, as none of the footage of the incident showed the weapon.
However, Judge Wilson ruled in favor of Stockley claiming the prosecutors failed to prove that Stockley intended to murder Smith. "This Court, in conscience, cannot say that the State has proven every element of murder beyond a reasonable doubt, or that the State has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense," Judge Wilson wrote in his ruling.
Source: CNN
