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U.S. NEWS Saturday 23 March 2019

White cop cleared in fatal shooting of black teenager

By RAMESH SANTANAM was officially sworn in just
Associated Press hours before the fatal
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A jury shooting — was justified in
acquitted a white former using lethal force.
police officer Friday in the Prosecutors said Rosfeld
fatal shooting of an un- gave inconsistent state-
armed black teenager ments about the shoot-
as he was fleeing a high- ing, including whether he
stakes traffic stop outside thought Rose was armed.
Pittsburgh, a confronta- The video evidence
tion that was captured on showed “there was no
video and led to weeks of threat” to the officer, Fodi
unrest. said in his closing.
Former East Pittsburgh Po- “We don’t shoot first and
lice Officer Michael Rosfeld ask questions later,” the
was charged with homicide prosecutor added.
for shooting Antwon Rose II “It happened very quickly,”
in the back last June. Rose Rosfeld said. “My intent was
was riding in an unlicensed to end the threat that was
taxi that had been involved made against me.”
in a drive-by shooting when Prosecutors charged Ros-
Rosfeld pulled the car over feld with an open count of
and shot the 17-year-old in homicide, meaning the jury
the back, arm and side of In this March 12, 2019 file photo, former East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld, charged had the option of convict-
the face as he ran away. with homicide in the shooting death of Antwon Rose II, walks to the Dauphin County Courthouse ing him of murder or man-
The panel of seven men in Harrisburg, Pa. slaughter.
and five women — includ- Associated Press Rose had been riding in the
ing three black jurors — saw in an overflow courtroom, after the verdict that Ros- Attorney Jonathan Fodi front seat of the cab when
video of the fatal confron- and several people broke feld is “a good man, he declared in his closing ar- another occupant, Zaijuan
tation, which showed Rose out in song: “Antwon Rose is.” He said he hoped the gument that Rosfeld had Hester, in the back, rolled
falling to the ground after was a freedom fighter, and city remained calm, and acted as “judge, jury and down a window and shot
being hit. The acquittal he taught us how to fight.” “everybody takes a deep executioner.” at two men on the street,
came after fewer than four Outside, dozens of protest- breath and gets on with But the former officer told hitting one in the abdo-
hours of deliberations on ers chanted: “Say his name: their lives.” the jury he thought Rose or men. A few minutes later,
the fourth day of the trial. Antwon Rose the Second.” Rose’s death — one of another suspect had a gun, Rosfeld spotted their car,
Rose’s family remained sto- The Rose family’s attorney, many high-profile killings of insisting he fired his weapon which had its rear wind-
ic as the verdict was read, S. Lee Merritt, had urged a black men and teens by to protect himself and the shield shot out, and pulled
with his mother telling his sis- murder conviction, saying white police officers in re- community. it over. Rosfeld ordered the
ter not to cry. Rosfeld’s wife before closing arguments cent years — spurred angry The prosecution and the driver to the ground, but
began sobbing, and she that it’s “pretty obvious” protests in the Pittsburgh defense sparred over Rose and another passen-
and Rosfeld were hustled Rose was not a threat to area last year, including a whether Rosfeld — who’d ger jumped out and be-
out of the courtroom by Rosfeld. late-night march that shut worked for the East Pitts- gan running away. Rosfeld
deputies. Defense lawyer Patrick down a major highway. burgh Police Department fired three times in quick
There were tears and gasps Thomassey told reporters On Friday, Assistant District for only a few weeks and succession.q

Judge says New York’s stun

gun ban is unconstitutional

By CHRIS CAROLA ban on civilian ownership fends the state in lawsuits,
Associated Press of stun guns violated the referred questions to state
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New Second Amendment right police or Democratic Gov.
York state’s ban on person- to bear arms. U.S. District Andrew Cuomo’s office.
al ownership of stun guns is Judge David Hurd agreed. Cuomo adviser Richard Az-
unconstitutional, a federal “New York’s sweeping pro- zopardi said that state law-
judge ruled Friday in the hibition on the possession yers are reviewing the deci-
latest in a series of court and use of tasers and stun sion and that the governor
decisions that have led to guns by all citizens for all is reserving comment.
the loosening of restrictions purposes, even for self-de- Illinois’ Supreme Court
on the weapons in several fense in one’s own home, made a similar stun gun rul- In this May 7, 2008 file photo, a police issued taser is displayed
states. The decision came must be declared unconsti- ing Thursday, deciding in at the Victoria police station in Victoria, British Columbia.
in a lawsuit filed by Mat- tutional,” Hurd wrote in his favor of two men charged Associated Press
thew Avitabile, of Schoha- decision. with carrying the weapons. Pulse model because the A Massachusetts court
rie County, New York, who The lawsuit named the su- In New Jersey, a resident state bans the sale of such struck down that state’s
said he wanted to buy a perintendent of the state and the New Jersey Sec- merchandise. The follow- stun gun ban last year, also
stun gun for self-defense in police, the agency that en- ond Amendment Society ing year the state’s attor- ruling that banning civilian
his rural upstate home. forces New York’s weapons sued the state in 2016 af- ney general conceded the possession of the weapons
His lawyers argued that laws. New York attorney ter Taser International de- state’s ban on electronic violates the U.S. Constitu-
New York’s longstanding general’s office, which de- clined his order for a Taser arms is unconstitutional. tion’s right to bear arms. q