Current:Home > MySecurity guard found not guilty in on-duty fatal shot reacting to gun fight by Nashville restaurant-InfoLens
Security guard found not guilty in on-duty fatal shot reacting to gun fight by Nashville restaurant
View Date:2024-12-23 15:30:09
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! (6946)
Related
- Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date
- With Rubiales finally out, Spanish soccer ready to leave embarrassing chapter behind
- Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet Serve PDA at 2023 U.S. Open
- Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 2 foreign aid workers, target Kyiv
- New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
- Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's 1-month-old son's name has been revealed: Reports
- Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow's Love Story With Olivia Holzmacher Is a True Touchdown
- Europe’s economic outlook worsens as high prices plague consumer spending
- Massive dust storm reduces visibility, causes vehicle pileup on central California highway
- Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker suspended without pay amid sexual misconduct investigation
Ranking
- NBA players express concern for ex-player Kyle Singler after social media post
- Hurricane Lee updates: No direct hit expected, but rip currents headed to East Coast
- Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev meet again in the US Open men’s final
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly higher as investors await US inflation, China economic data
- Martha Stewart playfully pushes Drew Barrymore away in touchy interview
- Virginia governor pardons man whose arrest at a school board meeting galvanized conservatives
- What to know about the Morocco earthquake and the efforts to help
- This Best-Selling Earbud Cleaning Pen Has 16,000+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews & It's on Sale
Recommendation
-
Early Black Friday Deals: 70% Off Apple, Dyson, Tarte, Barefoot Dreams, Le Creuset & More + Free Shipping
-
U.K. terror suspect Daniel Khalife still on the run as police narrow search
-
Foreign student arrested in Norway on suspicion of espionage including electronic eavesdropping
-
Mel Tucker has likely coached last game at Michigan State after sexual harassment probe
-
Texas’ 90,000 DACA recipients can sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage — for now
-
Police announce another confirmed sighting of escaped murderer on the run in Pennsylvania
-
End may be in sight for Phoenix’s historic heat wave of 110-degree plus weather
-
Pearl Jam postpones Indiana concert 'due to illness': 'We wish there was another way around it'