A jury convicted a white former police officer of voluntary manslaughter on Thursday in the shooting death of an unarmed black man who had been accused of shoplifting. But Rankin’s lawyers said his case had nothing to do with other instances of deadly force being used against black men. The jurors — eight black and four white — deliberated for nearly two days before reaching a verdict. Prosecutors said Chapman had his hands up and the officer could have used nonlethal force. But Gregory Provo, the Wal-Mart security guard who reported the shoplifting allegation, testified that Chapman never charged at the officer.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 04, 2016 21:45 UTC