Zeb
05-15-2010, 09:48 AM
:clap\"
A jury found an Ottawa Hills police officer guilty Friday night of felonious assault with a firearms specification for a shooting during a traffic stop last year.
The case went to the jury on the fourth day of Officer Thomas White's trial for felonious assault with a firearms specification in the shooting of Michael McCloskey, Jr.
White, 27, showed no emotion, standing quietly with his attorney, Jerry Phillips, when the verdict was read about 7:20 p.m. The jury deliberated six hours on Friday before reaching a decision.
White was released on bond, pending sentencing set for 9 a.m. on June 21. White faces up to 11 years in prison.
Mr. Phillips would not comment and left the courtroom soon after the verdict was announced.
During closing arguments Friday morning, Jeff Lingo, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, contended White had no justification for shooting — and permanently paralyzing — a man for a traffic violation.
"This case is not an indictment of all police officers," Mr. Lingo said. "This case is not an indictment of a police department. It is in fact a charge that resulted from the acts of a single police officer over a period of five minutes for which he acted alone and, the state feels, he should be held responsible."
Defense attorney Jerry Phillips told jurors that it made no difference whether Mr. McCloskey had committed a traffic violation or a criminal violation, whether he had a weapon or not. He said it made no difference whether Officer's White gunshot missed him, nicked him, or paralyzed him.
"Michael McCloskey was shot because White appropriately felt that either his life or the life of Officer [Christopher] Sargent was in danger at that moment," Mr. Phillips said.
He continually reminded jurors that they could not consider what happened in the early morning hours of May 23, 2009 with "20/20 vision of hindsight" but that they had to put themselves in the place of Officer White, considering only what he knew and saw and felt at the time.
A jury found an Ottawa Hills police officer guilty Friday night of felonious assault with a firearms specification for a shooting during a traffic stop last year.
The case went to the jury on the fourth day of Officer Thomas White's trial for felonious assault with a firearms specification in the shooting of Michael McCloskey, Jr.
White, 27, showed no emotion, standing quietly with his attorney, Jerry Phillips, when the verdict was read about 7:20 p.m. The jury deliberated six hours on Friday before reaching a decision.
White was released on bond, pending sentencing set for 9 a.m. on June 21. White faces up to 11 years in prison.
Mr. Phillips would not comment and left the courtroom soon after the verdict was announced.
During closing arguments Friday morning, Jeff Lingo, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, contended White had no justification for shooting — and permanently paralyzing — a man for a traffic violation.
"This case is not an indictment of all police officers," Mr. Lingo said. "This case is not an indictment of a police department. It is in fact a charge that resulted from the acts of a single police officer over a period of five minutes for which he acted alone and, the state feels, he should be held responsible."
Defense attorney Jerry Phillips told jurors that it made no difference whether Mr. McCloskey had committed a traffic violation or a criminal violation, whether he had a weapon or not. He said it made no difference whether Officer's White gunshot missed him, nicked him, or paralyzed him.
"Michael McCloskey was shot because White appropriately felt that either his life or the life of Officer [Christopher] Sargent was in danger at that moment," Mr. Phillips said.
He continually reminded jurors that they could not consider what happened in the early morning hours of May 23, 2009 with "20/20 vision of hindsight" but that they had to put themselves in the place of Officer White, considering only what he knew and saw and felt at the time.