Black Man Fought Charlottesville Police in Self Defense: But Cook Found Guilty of resisting arrest

A Charlottesville jury on Thursday convicted a man of resisting arrest but, citing a lack of evidence, could not come to a consensus on whether Kerry Von Reese Cook assaulted two police officers in an August 2004 struggle that ended with Cook being shot. It is unclear whether Cook will be tried again on the remaining assault and battery charges. Two special prosecutors from Chesterfield left Charlottesville Circuit Court without comment, saying that they could not talk about a pending case. The jury deadlocked on the assault charges, but recommended that Cook serve nine months of a possible 12-month jail sentence for resisting arrest. Cook, who wears a colostomy bag as a result of his injuries, has been in custody since the incident. Circuit Judge Edward L. Hogshire ordered that he serve the sentence on top of the 21 months he already has served. Members of the six-man, six-woman jury left the courthouse looking tired, and those who talked to members of the press said a lack of evidence caused the impasse. Charlottes-ville police Officers William Sclafani and Jeremy Carper were dispatched to an apartment at the low-income Friendship Court housing complex on Aug. 22, 2004, on a domestic disturbance call. Sclafani testified that Cook came out of a closet and charged his partner, sparking a brief but intense fight. Sclafani said he shot Cook once in the abdomen after Cook nearly choked him. Cook testified that he didn’t know the men were officers and was fighting for his life. [MORE]and [MORE]

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