UH OH

Judge Declares Mistrial in Fatal Ohio Police Shooting

In case against white officer who fatally shot black motorist in Ohio.

An Ohio judge on Saturday declared a mistrial in the case against a former police officer accused of murder for shooting a black man during a routine traffic stop. Ray Tensing, a 26-year-old former University of Cincinnati police officer, shot 43-year-old Sam DuBose after he tried to drive away in July 2015. Tensing, a white police officer, had pulled him over for missing a front license plate. The jury had been asked to charge Tensing with murder for “purposely” killing DuBose, but on Saturday, the judge announced a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a decision. Prosecutors said Tensing blatantly lied about the encounter that led to DuBose’s death. While Tensing had claimed to shoot in self-defense after supposedly being dragged by DuBose’s vehicle, prosecutors said the officer’s own body cam footage showed no evidence of this. Tensing was also accused of racial bias, with prosecutors noting he’d been wearing a T-shirt featuring a Confederate flag on it that day. The case has attracted the attention of Black Lives Matter and other groups campaigning for an end to police violence. Authorities in Cincinnati are now bracing for possible protests.