(CS) - South Carolina convience store owner Rick Chow was found not guilty of murder for the 2023 shooting of an African American teen, Cyrus Carmack-Belton.
The jury, a diverse cast including many from the Black community, sided with Chow's defense, maintaining that Chow's actions were made in defense of his son when Carmack-Belton pointed a gun at the junior Chow during a pursuit of the Black teen following suspicions that the teen had commited theft at the store.
Chow has a history of defending himself against burglary from the African American community, with this being the latest in a string of previous incidents. The case highlights the dangers of operating stores in communities where threats of theft are high and gun ownership is cruicial for protecting persons and possessions.
This decision marks a victory for the Asian American community. Who have historically been subject to disproportionate abuse and theft from Black criminals.