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Jury Acquits South Carolina Store Owner Rick Chow in Death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton

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A jury in South Carolina found convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow not guilty of murder, accepting his defense that he acted to protect his son. Chow fatally shot 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in May 2023 after mistakenly accusing him of stealing water and pursuing him.

The defense contended that Chow fired the lethal shot because the teenager was armed with a loaded handgun and aimed it at his son during the chase, instilling fear for their lives.This self-defense argument was pivotal to the acquittal.

The defense asserted that Chow was compelled to make a rapid decision to safeguard his family after his son shouted that the fleeing teen possessed a gun.
While prosecutors conceded that the 14-year-old had a semiautomatic pistol, they argued that the teen never directed it at anyone and that the weapon fell to the ground during the pursuit. Prosecutors maintained that the teenager was merely fleeing and did not present an immediate threat when he was shot in the back.

The jury ultimately considered the conflicting testimonies, surveillance video, and forensic evidence. They determined that the state did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Chow lacked a valid reason to fear for his son's safety.

The verdict, as reported by CBS News, garnered considerable public attention, and USA Today highlighted that it incited protests and distress within the local South Carolina community.

In Columbia, South Carolina, numerous individuals have protested following the acquittal of Chikei Rick Chow, a 61-year-old convenience store owner who was found not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton.

Protesters chanted slogans, held signs reading "Justice 4 Cyrus," blocked nearby intersections, and called for economic boycotts to draw attention to systemic failures within the justice system.
The family of the teenager expressed profound sorrow over the verdict, and their attorneys intend to file a civil lawsuit against Chow.

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