Cyrus Carmack-Belton: Family Reacts To ‘Not…
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We’re not stunned but no less offended…
A South Carolina jury’s determination to acquit comfort store proprietor Rick Chow of prison prices associated to the death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton has left the teenager’s household devastated and vowing to continue their struggle in civil court. ABC News reviews that Chow, 61, was discovered not guilty of homicide after a carefully watched trial stemming from the deadly taking pictures of Carmack-Belton exterior Chow’s Columbia, South Carolina, store in May 2023. The case drew national consideration after authorities decided {the teenager} had not stolen the 4 bottles of water Chow initially believed he had taken. Prosecutors argued that Chow chased the teenager and shot him in the back while he was operating away.
Following the verdict, Cyrus’ household launched an emotional assertion expressing outrage over the jury’s determination.
“Yesterday a jury watched our 14-year-old boy run away from two grown men on video. They knew one of them shot him in the back and they still said no one is to blame,” the household said in a assertion first launched to ABC News. “We are heartbroken. We do not accept it. Cyrus stole nothing. He was a child, and he was running for his life. Our son mattered.”
The protection efficiently argued that Chow acted to defend his son after Cyrus allegedly pointed a firearm at him during the encounter. Prosecutors acknowledged the teenager possessed a 9mm pistol but maintained it fell to the ground during the chase and was never used to threaten anybody. Witness testimony on that essential level sharply differed throughout the trial.
The verdict sparked emotional scenes inside the courtroom, with members of the family reportedly breaking down in tears as the choice was read. Outside court, the household’s attorney, Todd Rutherford, announced plans to continue pursuing a civil lawsuit that had been paused pending the end result of the prison case.
Cyrus’ mother and father have maintained that the evidence confirmed their son was fleeing when he was shot. His mom, Nicole Carmack, said the justice system failed her little one, while his father described the end result as another painful setback for younger Black males looking for justice. BOSSIP beforehand reported on the case back in 2023 when the deadly taking pictures first sparked protests, vigils, and national debate over race, self-defense claims, and the worth positioned on Black lives. Despite the acquittal, the Carmack-Belton household says their struggle for accountability is much from over.
Fight on. Rest in peace Cyrus Carmack-Belton.
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