Current:Home > Contact-usSecurity guard found not guilty in on-duty fatal shot reacting to gun fight by Nashville restaurant-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Security guard found not guilty in on-duty fatal shot reacting to gun fight by Nashville restaurant
View Date:2024-12-24 00:06:36
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A jury on Friday found a security guard not guilty of murder and other charges in a fatal shooting outside the Nashville restaurant where he was working, closing a case that hinged on whether he was justified in firing at a man involved in a shootout outside the business.
Nathan Glass, 29, was facing an indictment for second-degree murder in the October 2018 death of 25-year-old Deangelo Knox, who was engaged in a shootout with people in a car outside The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden, where patrons were dining.
At the state court trial that began Monday in Nashville, prosecutors contended that Knox was on foot out of his vehicle, fleeing the assailants in another car and fighting for his life when Glass inched the restaurant’s door open and shot him.
But Glass’ attorneys said he was following through on his duty as a security guard to protect himself and others. They argued that Knox had begun turning toward the restaurant while holding a gun after he had been wildly shooting. They said the surveillance video picture was blurry at times, didn’t cover every angle of the encounter, and didn’t show Glass’ perspective from inside the restaurant.
Glass’ defense team also cast down on prosecutors’ portrayal of Knox as a victim in the shootout with the other assailants, noting that a man later convicted of the August 2018 killing of Knox’s friend was in the other car.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, were unsuccessful in their argument that Glass was a murderer, not a hero. Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter called Glass’ shot a “sucker punch, except it was with a bullet, and it ended his life.”
The jury deliberated for several hours Friday before acquitting Glass of the second-degree murder charge and of all lesser charges.
A key point in the case’s backdrop wasn’t focused on at trial, however: Glass was hired as a Nashville police officer after the shooting.
Months before the shooting, Glass had been admitted to the police academy. His entry into the program was paused due to the shooting investigation. He was allowed to attend the academy in March 2019 after an assistant district attorney determined prosecutors couldn’t overcome Glass’ claim of self-defense and defense of others. That assistant district attorney, Pam Anderson, was no longer working with the office as of a couple weeks before Glass was indicted in November 2020.
“Today, the jury spoke, and what they told us is that Pam Anderson was right in her decision, and that Nathan Glass acted to protect the people that he was charged to protect,” David Veile, Glass’ defense attorney, told The Associated Press.
Glass resigned as an officer in late 2021, with disciplinary action pending from his department, as police investigators cited the grand jury’s indictment.
The family of Knox, who was Black, filed a lawsuit over the shooting against Glass, who is white, and other parties. It was settled without settlement details made public.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- World War II veteran reflects on life as he turns 100
- The politics of immigration play differently along the US-Mexico border
- Upset alert for Miami, USC? Bold predictions for Week 4 in college football
- Federal authorities subpoena NYC mayor’s director of asylum seeker operations
- Powerball winning numbers for November 11 drawing: Jackpot hits $103 million
- What causes brain tumors? Here's why they're not that common.
- Norway’s Plan for Seabed Mining Threatens Arctic Marine Life, Greenpeace Says
- Alleged Hezbollah financier pleads guilty to conspiracy charge
- Will Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul end in KO? Boxers handle question differently
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will visit a Pennsylvania ammunition factory to thank workers
Ranking
- GreenBox Systems will spend $144 million to build an automated warehouse in Georgia
- Motel 6 sold to Indian hotel operator for $525 million
- FBI agents have boarded vessel managed by company whose other cargo ship collapsed Baltimore bridge
- 8 California firefighters injured in freeway rollover after battling Airport Fire
- Disney x Lululemon Limited-Edition Collection: Shop Before It Sells Out
- Takeaways from AP’s report on warning signs about suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt
- New Jersey Devils agree to three-year deal with Dawson Mercer
- Best used cars under $10,000: Sedans for car shoppers on a budget
Recommendation
-
Special counsel Smith asks court to pause appeal seeking to revive Trump’s classified documents case
-
Where is the best fall foliage? Maps and forecast for fall colors.
-
Meta bans Russian state media networks over 'foreign interference activity'
-
What causes brain tumors? Here's why they're not that common.
-
Queen Bey and Yale: The Ivy League university is set to offer a course on Beyoncé and her legacy
-
Jerome Oziel, therapist who heard Menendez brothers' confession, portrayed in Netflix show
-
Get an Extra 60% Off Nordstrom Rack Clearance: Save 92% With $6 Good American Shorts, $7 Dresses & More
-
Katy Perry's new album '143' is 'mindless' and 'uninspired,' per critics. What happened?