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Former Arlington officer found not guilty in woman's shooting death
A Tarrant County jury unanimously found a former Arlington police officer was not guilty of criminally negligence in the fatal shooting of Margarita Brooks.
ARLINGTON, Texas - A Tarrant County jury unanimously found a former Arlington police officer was not guilty of criminally negligence in the fatal shooting of Margarita Brooks.
Jurors spent hours reviewing the case against Ravinder Singh on Friday and early Monday.
After the verdict was read Singh showed relief and embraced his attorney.
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Former Arlington Police Officer found not guilty of criminal negligence
A jury found Ravinder Singh was not guilty of criminally negligence in the fatal shooting of a woman.
Outside the courtroom, he read a prepared statement.
"My sincere condolences to the Brooks family and her friends for their loss. I, too, have been at a loss because the outcome of my actions has not been easy to bear. It has been my intention to serve my country as a United States Marine and Arlington police officer. I am deeply sorry," Singh said.
RELATED: Defense argues Arlington officer’s deadly force was justified
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Defense argues Arlington officer’s deadly force was justified
A jury determining whether a former Arlington police officer should be convicted of manslaughter for accidentally killing a woman will continue deliberations on Monday.
In 2019, he responded to a welfare call from someone concerned that Margarita Brooks, who was homeless, may have been unconscious in a grassy area along North Collins Street.
As Singh called to Brooks, bodycam video showed her dog running toward him.
Singh said he feared for his life when he fired three shots.
The dog was not hurt, but one of the rounds ricocheted off of the dog and struck and killed Brooks.
RELATED: Arlington officer had other options before fatally shooting woman, witness says
"This qualified immunity has got to stop," said the victim's father Troy Brooks. "All this proved is that the police do not even have a responsibility to even try not to kill or abuse its citizens. That's really all this means. Qualified immunity still stands. They have absolute immunity to do whatever they want. Anybody could see that video and see those shots should not have been taken."
Brooks' attorney Lee Merritt says the family can still sue the city of Arlington for a maximum of $250,000.
The suit has been filed and is making its way through the civil court system.