"An Ohio judge has declared a mistrial in the
case of a white former police officer accused of murdering an unarmed
black driver during a traffic stop last year. The jury on Saturday was unable to reach a
verdict for Ray Tensing, 26, charged with voluntary manslaughter in the
shooting of 43-year-old Samuel DuBose — an incident caught on police
bodycam. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Megan
Shanahan accepted the jury's deadlock Saturday morning. The case is now
back in the hands of prosecutors, who must decide whether they will
retry the case or dismiss it. In the meantime, Tensing remains free on a $1 million bond. Al Gerhardstein, an attorney for DuBose's family, said they are "incredibly upset" and will ask for another trial. "They are at their wit's end. They have been on hold since Sam was killed," he said after the verdict. "With the video evidence as clear as it was, [jurors] should not have been stuck," Gerhardstein added. Tensing, who was fired from the University of
Cincinnati's police force, faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted
on the murder charge. The decision came on a fourth day of
deliberations by 10 white and two black jurors, who were tasked with
weighing whether the shooting was a justifiable use of force after
Tensing testified he feared for his life. The trial was a rare example of a police officer
being charged in such a case — after several high-profile deaths of
African-Americans at the hands of cops has caused deep divisions between law enforcement and communities of color. The defense said Tensing used his car as a
weapon, and the officer pulled his gun when he feared for his life when
he was dragged. Prosecutors, however, maintained he was not dragged — and bodycam footage doesn't show that key point, they argued. Dubose, a father of 13, was pulled over after
Tensing said he noticed his car was missing a front license plate.
DuBose was shot once in the head."