Mississippi judge declares mistrial for two white men charged with shooting at Black FedEx worker
A Mississippi judge has declared a mistrial in the case of two white men who were charged with shooting at a Black FedEx worker as he tried to deliver a package.
Back on 24 January 2022, FedEx driver D’Monterrio Gibson was delivering packages in Brookhaven, when father and son duo Gregory Case and Brandon Case chased him in a pickup truck and opened fire.
Mr Gibson, now 25, managed to escape unscathed in a shocking case that instantly drew parallels to the racist murder of Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.
The Cases surrendered to authorities days after the attack.
They were both charged with attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy and shooting into the vehicle driven by Mr Gibson and finally went on trial this month.
But, on Thursday, Judge David Strong declared a mistrial in the case citing errors made by a Brookhaven Police Department detective.
According to the judge, the officer had failed to provide evidence to prosecutors and defence attorneys and had improperly testified about some guns that were found in the home of one of the suspects, as well as gun shell casings found outside the home.
Defence attorneys had requested the mistrial and the judge sided with them, saying he had been left with no choice but to grant it.
“In 17 years, I don’t think I’ve seen it,” Judge Strong said of the officer’s actions.
The shocking January 2022 shooting led to complaints of racism in the town of Brookhaven, located about an hour’s drive south of the state capital, Jackson.
