He also faces a penalty of up to five years in prison and $10,000 on the other charges. At his recent court appearance , Yanez pleaded not guilty to the charges, and he will remain free during court proceedings without having to post any bail. The case comes at particularly tense time for police officers and the communities they live in and serve. In that regard, the fact that a local prosecutor is pursuing charges against an officer at all is a pretty significant development. Under these circumstances then, it is a heavy lift for the defense to argue credibly that the shooting was justified.

Source: CNN November 22, 2016 19:30 UTC