Delaware jury acquits white officer of assaulting black man

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Delaware jury acquits white officer of assaulting black man

Randall Chase, Associated Press

Updated 3:35 pm, Tuesday, December 8, 2015

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A jury acquitted a white police officer Tuesday of assault after he kicked a black suspect in the head, breaking his jaw.

Jurors deliberated for about 16 hours over three days before acquitting Dover police officer Thomas Webster IV of felony assault and misdemeanor assault.

Webster testified he didn't intend to kick Lateef Dickerson in the head in August 2013 and instead was aiming for his upper body. Webster also said he feared for the safety of himself and others because officers were told Dickerson was armed with a gun, and Dickerson was slow to comply with repeated commands to get on the ground.

. . .

Webster had rejected an offer from prosecutors to plead guilty to third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, in return for surrendering his certification and never working as a police officer again. A felony conviction would have carried up to eight years in prison, while a conviction for the lesser misdemeanor typically would result in probation.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Jury-back-to-work-in-trial-of-officer-who-broke-6682986.php

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[center]

Thomas Webster IV[/center]

[randys1]

1. What year is it again?

Reverse this and mountains would split in half

[marble falls]

3. He's a liar regardless of what year it is. He needed some serious time. The eight years sounded ....

right.

[bigdarryl]

2. Just goes to show voting matters

[ManiacJoe]

4. Even with the videos the prosecution failed to prove its case.

This would seem to say more about the evidence and witnesses than the defendant.
Even the original Grand Jury did not like the case as presented by the prosecutor.

[Blue_Tires]

5. k+r