A police officer in Toldeo, Ohio was sentenced to serve a prison stint after undergoing a trial for the shooting of an unarmed suspect that was recorded on the officer’s dash cam.
Former Ottawa Hills police officer Thomas White was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of the 2008 shooting of unarmed motorcyclist, Michael McCloskey, Jr.
The crime, which was captured by the officers dash cam, clearly shows McCloskey stopping at the officers request and White jumping out the vehicle before shooting the motorcyclist in the back; paralyzing him.
Although the dash cam video shows that the McCloskey was cooperating, White testified that the traffic stop was a “high risk vehicle stop.”
Even though fellow Officer James Scanlon testified that due to the 2 motorcyclist fleeing after being alerted that the police were behind them gave White a reason to believe his life was in “imminent risk.”
“I come to the conclusion that it was reasonable and, by all the standards we live by, it was justified,” retired FBI agent Urey Patrick said during the trial. “One appeared to be out of control, the other suddenly stopped. They already indicated a willingness to flee. That’s an indicator that this is not a routine stop.”
After a 6 hour deliberation, the jury returned with a guilty verdict on charges of felonious assault with a firearms specification.
Defense experts say that the most compelling factor in the case, was that although it was not clear on whether the motorcyclists knew White was behind them, what was clear is what White knew — not the men.
According to reports, White and his lawyers plan to file an appeal in the case.
Check out the news coverage of the case:
