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Prosecutors drop some charges against teen accused in shooting after Richmond high school graduation
Prosecutors drop some charges against teen accused in shooting after Richmond high school graduation
The Associated Press
July 28, 2023, 4:00 PM
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Prosecutors dropped second-degree murder charges on Friday against a man who was originally accused of fatally shooting two people after a high school graduation in Virginia, acknowledging they do not have enough evidence against him in one of the killings.
Amari Pollard, 19, was originally charged in the June 6 killings of Shawn Jackson, 18, who had received his Huguenot High School diploma minutes earlier, and Jackson’s stepfather, Lorenzo Smith. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted Pollard on a single first-degree murder charge only in Jackson’s killing.
Richmond police initially said they believed Pollard targeted Jackson in the shooting because the two teens had a long-running dispute. ... During a court hearing Friday, prosecutors told a judge that Pollard was initially charged by a magistrate using the information available on the day of the shooting, which also injured five people. Prosecutors said that after a longer investigation, they now do not believe there is probable cause to charge Pollard in Smith’s death.
Pollard’s attorney, Jason Anthony, told WTVR-TV outside court that he will argue that Pollard acted in self-defense when the case goes to trial.
{snip}
Copyright © 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
The Associated Press
July 28, 2023, 4:00 PM
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Prosecutors dropped second-degree murder charges on Friday against a man who was originally accused of fatally shooting two people after a high school graduation in Virginia, acknowledging they do not have enough evidence against him in one of the killings.
Amari Pollard, 19, was originally charged in the June 6 killings of Shawn Jackson, 18, who had received his Huguenot High School diploma minutes earlier, and Jackson’s stepfather, Lorenzo Smith. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted Pollard on a single first-degree murder charge only in Jackson’s killing.
Richmond police initially said they believed Pollard targeted Jackson in the shooting because the two teens had a long-running dispute. ... During a court hearing Friday, prosecutors told a judge that Pollard was initially charged by a magistrate using the information available on the day of the shooting, which also injured five people. Prosecutors said that after a longer investigation, they now do not believe there is probable cause to charge Pollard in Smith’s death.
Pollard’s attorney, Jason Anthony, told WTVR-TV outside court that he will argue that Pollard acted in self-defense when the case goes to trial.
{snip}
Copyright © 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.