By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
TEARS of relief broke out in court yesterday after a jury acquitted a man accused of carrying out a fatal car wash shooting on East Street more than three years ago.
Tevin Bethel, 28, was found not guilty of murder by an 8-1 jury verdict before Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns, ending a trial centred on the July 12, 2021 killing of Michael Thompson Jr. Following the verdict, Mr Bethel shook hands with his defence attorneys as family members cried in the courtroom.
The prosecution’s case relied largely on the testimony of Chimika Louis, the deceased’s girlfriend, who said she was present when a man exited a blue vehicle and pulled a gun on a group of men near the car wash. Ms Louis testified that she saw Mr Bethel aim the gun at Thompson before fleeing and hearing gunshots as she ran. Prosecutors submitted that she had positively identified Mr Bethel as the shooter.
The defence disputed that account, arguing that Ms Louis did not witness the shooting and that the identity of the gunman remained unproven. In closing submissions, attorney Tamika Roberts criticised the police investigation as “slack”, “sloppy” and “sad”, pointing to the absence of surveillance footage and fingerprint testing results presented at trial.
Eucal Bonaby prosecuted the case. Cassie Bethel also appeared for the defence.
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