Chikei Rick Chow maintained he shot 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back because he was trying to defend his son.
The jury returned the verdict for Chikei Rick Chow. Chow, 61, who is Asian, shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back after chasing him from his convenience store in Columbia. He maintained he acted to defend his son.
Defense lawyer Jack Swerling said they’re very pleased with the verdict but also feel for Carmack-Belton’s family.
“My heart goes out to them, but 14-year-old kid should not be roaming the streets of Columbia or South Carolina with semiautomatic pistol loaded and ready to fire,” he said.
Prosecutors and a defense lawyer in closing arguments painted different pictures of the 2023 shooting. Prosecutors said Chow acted in anger because he wrongly thought the teen had stolen four bottles of water from the store. A defense lawyer said Chow fired to defend his son only after the teen pointed a gun at him.
Prosecutors acknowledged Carmack-Belton had a semiautomatic pistol, but they say it fell on the ground during the chase and he never threatened anyone with it. Prosecutors said Chow chased the teen more than 130 yards from the store.
Gipson told jurors that Chow “chased a kid down, shot him in the back.”
During closing arguments, Gipson placed a bottle of water before jurors. Gipson said that Chow “at the end of the day, believed that a human is not more than that.”
Gipson said multiple witnesses testified that they didn’t see anything in Carmack-Belton’s hands and didn’t see him point a gun as he ran from the store.
“Nobody testified that happened that doesn’t have the last name Chow,” Gipson said.
www.nbcnews.com
Here we go again, a grown man runs a child down and shoots him in the back over 4 bottles of water they claimed he stole and yet he didn't have any water on him, then he claims the kid pointed a gun at him and threatened his son, but the he never fired a gun and no one saw him threaten to shoot anyone.
I would love to know the makeup of this jury.
The jury returned the verdict for Chikei Rick Chow. Chow, 61, who is Asian, shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back after chasing him from his convenience store in Columbia. He maintained he acted to defend his son.
Defense lawyer Jack Swerling said they’re very pleased with the verdict but also feel for Carmack-Belton’s family.
“My heart goes out to them, but 14-year-old kid should not be roaming the streets of Columbia or South Carolina with semiautomatic pistol loaded and ready to fire,” he said.
Prosecutors and a defense lawyer in closing arguments painted different pictures of the 2023 shooting. Prosecutors said Chow acted in anger because he wrongly thought the teen had stolen four bottles of water from the store. A defense lawyer said Chow fired to defend his son only after the teen pointed a gun at him.
Prosecutors acknowledged Carmack-Belton had a semiautomatic pistol, but they say it fell on the ground during the chase and he never threatened anyone with it. Prosecutors said Chow chased the teen more than 130 yards from the store.
Gipson told jurors that Chow “chased a kid down, shot him in the back.”
During closing arguments, Gipson placed a bottle of water before jurors. Gipson said that Chow “at the end of the day, believed that a human is not more than that.”
Gipson said multiple witnesses testified that they didn’t see anything in Carmack-Belton’s hands and didn’t see him point a gun as he ran from the store.
“Nobody testified that happened that doesn’t have the last name Chow,” Gipson said.
Store owner found not guilty of murder in 2023 killing of Black teen in South Carolina
Chikei Rick Chow maintained he shot 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back because he was trying to defend his son.
www.nbcnews.com
Here we go again, a grown man runs a child down and shoots him in the back over 4 bottles of water they claimed he stole and yet he didn't have any water on him, then he claims the kid pointed a gun at him and threatened his son, but the he never fired a gun and no one saw him threaten to shoot anyone.
I would love to know the makeup of this jury.
