No re-trial for Detroit officer who fatally shot sleeping child

theGRIO REPORT - Detroit prosecutors said they will not seek a third trial in the case against an officer who fatally shot a sleeping child.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Detroit prosecutors said they will not seek a third trial in the case against an officer who fatally shot a sleeping child. They will move to dismiss the case on Friday, according to WXYZ-TV.

In October, jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the case of Officer Joseph Weekley. A judge granted Weekley a directed verdict on the felony charge of involuntary manslaughter.

In 2010, officers were searching for a suspect in the shooting death of a teenager when they raided the apartment building of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones. The event was filmed for the TV show First 48.

During the raid, Jones was shot in the head. Prosecutors claimed Weekley was willfully negligent. There are conflicting reports of Weekley’s defense. According to Reuters, Weekley’s attorney said that Jones’ grandmother grabbed the gun and it went off during the struggle. WXYZ-TV reports that Weekley said Jones’ grandmother bumped the gun, causing it to discharge.

 

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