This morning, just before 10AM EDT/9AM CDT, Judge Timothy Wilson ruled that former St. Louis officer Jason Stockley was not guilty for killing Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011.
With that not guilty verdict handed down, we can expect mass protests throughout this weekend across St. Louis (and the country), and maybe into next week as well.
Doyle Murphy at Riverfront Times:
Ex-St. Louis cop Jason Stockley has been found not guilty in the death of Anthony Lamar Smith.
The Circuit Attorney's office announced the decision this morning in a press release, saying that Judge Timothy Wilson had reached his decision after weighing evidence from a contentious bench trial that spanned more than four days earlier last month in St. Louis Circuit Court.
“Of course, I’m disappointed with the court’s decision,” Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner said in the release. “As the Circuit Attorney for the City of St. Louis, I remain committed to holding people accountable for violating the law, regardless of their race, gender, occupation, or station in life.
“While officer-involved shooting cases are extremely difficult to prevail in court, I believe we offered sufficient evidence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Jason Stockley intended to kill Mr. Smith. However, in this case it was the judge’s duty to evaluate the evidence and deliver his findings. That’s how our system works. I’m very proud of my team’s effort and commitment to the pursuit of justice on behalf of Mr. Smith’s family and the people of St. Louis.”
Joel Currier at St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Wilson addressed such statements in his order: "A judge shall not be swayed by partisan interests, public clamor or fear of criticism."
More than a month has passed since Stockley's bench trial ended, a case that has rekindled racial tensions not seen in St. Louis since the Ferguson uprising and police killing of VonDerrit Myers Jr. in the second half of 2014.
Stockley, 36, whose home is now Houston, was charged last year with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Dec. 20, 2011, shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith, 24, at the end of a police chase at West Florissant and Acme avenues. The chase began when Stockley and his partner Brian Bianchi tried to arrest Smith for a suspected drug deal at a Church's Chicken at Thekla Avenue and Riverview Boulevard.
The decison was Wilson's alone because Stockley waived his right to a jury trial.
Taryn Finley at HuffPost Black Voices:
On Dec. 20, 2011, Stockley and his partner, Brian Bianchi, pursued Smith, 24, in a mile-long car chase after spotting him in what they suspected was a drug transaction. Stockley said over the police radio that Smith, fired a gun. In a video obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Stockley can be heard saying that he’s “going to kill this motherf****r.”
The chase reached nearly 90 mph before Stockley told Bianchi to ram their SUV into Smith’s car, which deployed Smith’s air bags. Both officers got out, Stockley carrying a duty pistol and an AK-47 rifle, which he wasn’t permitted to carry by the department. He fired several pistol shots into the car and placed his rifle back in the SUV. Smith was hit five times.
Stockley, who resigned in 2013, claimed he fired in self-defense after Smith reached for a weapon that police said was found in his car. However, prosecutors said Stockley carried out his premeditated plans to kill Smith by shooting him within 6 inches of his body and planting a revolver in his car, which was found to have only Stockley’s DNA on it.
I believe that this verdict is a load of bullshit, and that Stockley should be in jail and convicted for what he did.