A Connecticut state trooper charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing a 19-year-old man after a high-speed car chase in 2020 has been found not guilty.
Trooper Brian North was acquitted Friday of all charges; he could have faced up to 40 years in prison for shooting and killing Mubarak Soulemane in January 2020.
North showed little emotion as the verdicts were read. Afterward, he shook hands with his lawyers.
North left the courthouse without taking questions from reporters. But his lead attorney, Frank Riccio II, said the trooper is still shaken by the shooting.
"This is not a time for celebration because a young man still lost his life,” Riccio told reporters outside the courthouse.
Mark Arons, an attorney who represents the Soulemane family, said it was hard to hear the words “not guilty.”
“This is a terrible day for everybody concerned and extremely difficult for the family to have to hear the verdict," Arons said.
Soulemane's family did not address reporters Friday afternoon.
The verdict ends a two-week trial where the state prosecutor, Robert Devlin, argued North needlessly shot and killed Soulemane, who stole a car in Norwalk and ended up leading police on a chase into West Haven, where he was killed by North after being boxed in by several police vehicles.
Soulemane was inside a vehicle and holding a knife when North fired his gun. An inspector general report stated North was not in immediate danger and his use of lethal force was not necessary.
Jurors heard testimony from various witnesses, including Soulemane’s former partner, a cellphone store employee and various law enforcement officers who spoke about the day or judging the actions of North.
Soulemane was experiencing mental health issues in the days before his death, his family members say.
An expert witness for the defense testified that a police officer's use of force only needed to be reasonable, not necessarily right.
Following the verdict, the interim colonel of the Connecticut State Police, Daniel Loughman, issued a statement, offering condolences to the Soulemane family for their loss and thanking the jury for their effort.
"We are all saddened by the loss of life," he said.
He also commended North for his "professionalism during the trial."
"We recognize the stress this process has had on Trooper North and his family," Loughman said.
The local NAACP and clergy decried the shooting as another unnecessary killing of a Black man by police, but race was not raised as an issue at the trial. They and Soulemane's family criticized law enforcement for not trying to de-escalate the situation.
Steve Bogan was outside the courthouse after the verdict was announced. He said his son played basketball with Souleman. He said he doesn’t understand why Souleman had to die.
“There's no reason in the world that this guy should have shot him seven times," Bogan said. "I just don't get it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story, which will be updated.
