A Louisiana officer has been found guilty of killing a 6-year-old child with autism during a high-speed chase.
Recently, the Louisiana officer who shot and killed a 6-year-old boy during a high-speed car chase has been found guilty of attempted manslaughter and manslaughter. Derrick Stafford of Marksville Police Department burst into tears when the magistrate showed him a picture of Jeremy Mardis, the 6-year-old boy with autism who was inside his father’s car when Stafford and his partner opened fire. The Marksville Police Department declared that Christopher Few, the man driving the car and the boy’s father, was wounded during the shooting, but survived.
A Louisiana jury has recently found officer Derrick Stafford guilty of killing a 6-year-old boy with autism during a high-speed car chase. According to the court documents, the tragic event occurred on the 3rd of November, 2015.
During their patrol, Stafford and his colleague Norris Greenhouse pulled over 26-year-old Christopher Few. Fearing that he might be arrested, Few hit the gas pedal and fled the scene. Stafford said that at that moment, he took out his gun and fired at least four shots towards Few’s vehicle, fearing that he might put the car in reverse and run over his colleague.
According to the official estimates, Stafford and Greenhouse fired 18 shots at Few’s vehicle. Unfortunately, Few’s son, 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis, was also in the vehicle when the officers started to open fire. The child’s autopsy revealed that Mardis’ body was pierced by at least four bullets and that he died in a matter of minutes.
After reviewing the officers’ vest cameras, the prosecutors found a most disturbing fact – before the officers sprayed Few’s car with bullets, the man rolled down the window, and put his hands up, signaling that he wants to surrender.
The body cameras also reveal that Stafford and his colleague chose to ignore the universal surrender sign and continue to fire towards Few’s vehicle. After the massacre was over, Christopher Few was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The doctors managed to stabilize Few, but he would spend the next week in a coma. Christoper Few was informed about his son’s death when he woke up from his coma. During the trial of the Louisiana officer, Few declared that it was never his intention to run from the police, but merely attempted to get his son to his girlfriend’s house.
For his deeds, the Louisiana officer was found guilty of attempted manslaughter and manslaughter. As for his colleague, Norris Greenhouse, the authorities said that he would be charged as well.
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