I think both sides lied and the jury used reasonable doubt to find not guilty.
He probably did shoot him on purpose in the heat of the moment. Those kids were essentially on a drunken rampage and the farmer probably felt scared. When you drive on a rural property in a car missing a front wheel and try to steal a vehicle you risk getting shot. They were also armed and who knows whether they pointed the weapon at the farmer or his kid.
I can understand why people think this outcome is racially motivated, but reasonable doubt that the gun accidentally went off played a bigger role.
|