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U.S. NEWSThursday 7 January 2016
Florida deputy pleads not guilty in air rifle shooting death
Attorney Eric Schwartzreich, left, who represents suspended Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Peter
Peraza, right, speaks to the media, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at the Broward County Courthouse
in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Peraza pleaded not guilty to charges related to the July 2013 on-duty fatal
shooting of Jermaine McBean, who was carrying only an air rifle, in Oakland Park.
CURT ANDERSON
AP Legal Affairs Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida
(AP) — A Florida law en-
forcement officer who fa-
tally shot a man carrying
only an air rifle pleaded
not guilty Wednesday to a
manslaughter charge, and
his attorney predicted no
jury would convict a po-
lice officer who acted with
force in such circumstanc-
es.
Grand jury indicts trooper in Sandra Bland traffic stop
MICHAEL GRACZYK
Associated Press
HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) —
A Texas state trooper was
charged with perjury on
Wednesday in connection
to a contentious traffic stop
last summer where a black
woman wound up arrested
for assault and then died
three days later in jail.
A grand jury indicted
Trooper Brian Encinia with
the misdemeanor count,
alleging he lied about how
he removed 28-year-old
Sandra Bland from her ve-
hicle during the July traf-
fic stop. The same Waller
County grand jury decided
last month not to indict any
sheriff’s officials or jailers in stun gun and yelling, “I will
Bland’s death, which was
ruled a suicide.
Bland remained jailed fol-
lowing her arrest because
she couldn’t raise about
$500 for bail. Encinia, who
has been on paid desk
Broward Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Peter Peraza, who
has worked for the sheriff’s
office for 14 years, faces up nothing more than doing
to 30 years in prison if con- his job, protecting himself
victed in the fatal shoot-
ing of Jermaine McBean,
who was black. Peraza is
white. Peraza’s attorney,
Eric Schwartzreich, said
the case differs from oth-
ers around the country in
which unarmed black sus-
pects have been shot by
duty since Bland was found
dead in her jail cell, also
faces a wrongful death
lawsuit filed by Bland’s
family. The misdemeanor
charge carries a maximum
penalty of a year in jail and
a $4,000 fine.
Encinia, who is white, pulled
Bland over on July 10 for
making an improper lane
change near Prairie View
A&M University, her alma
mater, where she had just
interviewed and accepted
a job. Dashcam video from
Encinia’s patrol car shows
that the traffic stop quickly
became confrontational.
At one point, the video
shows the trooper holding a
light you up!” after Bland
refuses to get out of her
car. Bland eventually steps
out of the vehicle, and En-
cinia orders her to the side
of the road. The confronta-
tion continues off-camera
law enforcement officers sheriff’s office of a cover-
applauded in a show up in a federal wrongful
of support when Peraza death lawsuit, which the
emerged. agency denies.
It was yet another case Black Lives Matter Alliance
(Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/AP) taken up by the Black Lives member Jeff Weinberger
Matter movement, which was critical of the heavy
white officers. emerged nationwide over law enforcement show of
“This isn’t a racial issue. the past year in response to support for Peraza.
Deputy Peraza was doing the death of African-Amer- “They’re here to protect
icans in several cities at the and serve the public, not
hands of law enforcement protect and serve them-
and protecting the com- officers. selves,” he said. “Justice
munity,” Schwartzreich told Several members of the would be served for Peraza
reporters. “His intention is to Black Lives Matter Alliance to be convicted.”
go to trial and to fight these Broward also spoke outside Peraza is free on $25,000
charges.” the courtroom, contending bail and suspended with-
Peraza, 37, entered the the grand jury indictment out pay. The FBI also is in-
plea at a brief court hear- of Peraza was a long time vestigating possible civil
ing. Outside the courtroom, coming. rights violations.
more than three dozen It has been decades since No trial date has been set
a Florida law enforcement in the manslaughter case.
officer was charged crimi- Jeff Marano, president of
nally for an on-duty shoot- the Broward Police Benev-
ing. olent Association union,
McBean, 33, was killed by said the Peraza case has
Peraza in July 2013 while put a chill into every local
carrying a real-looking air law enforcement officer
rifle he had just purchased who might second-guess
across his shoulders near his their actions in a potentially
apartment complex. Two deadly situation. Schwartz-
other deputies had guns reich also called the indict-
drawn but did not fire. ment a political reaction
A family attorney says Mc- to the current national
Bean probably did not debate over police use of
hear police commands force against black sus-
that he drop the rifle be- pects.
cause he was listening to “This is a tragedy, that he’s
music through earbuds. going through this process,”
The family has accused the Marano told reporters.q
About two dozen people demonstrate outside the Waller County Courthouse on Wednesday, Jan.
6, 2016, in Hempstead, Texas. A Texas state trooper was charged with perjury on Wednesday in
connection to a contentious traffic stop last summer where a black woman wound up arrested for
assault and then died three days later in jail.
(AP Photo/Michael Graczyk)
but is still audible. her from jail the next day, that an officer had placed
Bland’s sister, Shante Need- saying she’d been arrested his knee in her back and in-
ham, has said Bland called but didn’t know why, and jured her arm. q