Charges dropped in Ohio police shooting of unarmed black man
CINCINNATI — A judge in Cincinnati on Monday dismissed the charges against a white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black motorist during a traffic stop, after a county prosecutor declined to pursue a third murder trial in the case.
Hamilton County Judge Leslie Ghiz declined to acquit former University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing in the shooting of Sam DuBose, but she dismissed the murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in a way that blocks retrial on those counts.
“It’s sort of a note of finality, which is what we were looking for, although we still have the potential for a federal civil rights investigation,” defence attorney Stewart Mathews said afterward.
Two juries couldn’t reach unanimous agreement on the state charges, leading to mistrials. County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he felt “badly” about dropping the case but had concluded that he wouldn’t be able to get a jury to convict Tensing.