Attorneys for a Virginia police officer who is charged with murder are trying to have his trial thrown out, after a friend of the shooting victim’s family was recorded on CCTV speaking to a juror.
Stephen Rankin’s defense team has asked a judge at the Portsmouth circuit court to declare a mistrial, arguing that the friend of William Chapman’s family tried to influence the juror in an “intentional act”.
“She is not an innocent spectator,” James Broccoletti, Rankin’s lead attorney, told Judge Johnny Morrison on Thursday morning. “She has a vested interest in the case.”
Rankin, 36, is charged with first-degree murder and using a gun to commit a felony for his fatal shooting of 18-year-old William Chapman outside a Walmart superstore on the morning of 22 April last year.
He shot the teen in the face and chest after his attempt to stop Chapman in the store’s parking lot over a suspected shoplifting turned into a physical struggle. He was terminated from his job after being indicted for murder.
Prosecutors allege that Rankin intentionally killed Chapman with premeditation after the teenager defied his orders. Rankin denies the charges and testified that he only fired his gun because Chapman aggressively charged at him. After hearing four days of testimony jurors have been deliberating for almost 10 hours.
The friend of Chapman’s family, who identified herself only as “Ms James”, denied trying to influence the case and said she did not know the person she spoke to was a juror. “It’s absolutely bogus,” she told the Guardian.
James said she merely exchanged a morning greeting with the juror and then walked away to use a different elevator when she learned that he was involved in the Chapman case. The juror, who has not been identified, supported her claim that no details of the case were discussed.
But video footage of the incident provided to Rankin’s team by court deputies appears to contradict at least part of her account, according to a court source who was not authorized to speak to the media.
Morrison had rejected a mistrial motion from Broccoletti before the video footage emerged. Broccoletti also pointed out to the court that he watched James and Chapman’s mother, Sallie, hug after court concluded on Wednesday.
Prosecutors were reviewing the video footage on Thursday morning. They oppose Rankin’s motion for a mistrial and have argued that the trial should continue. If Rankin was found guilty the claims about James’s discussion with a juror would probably be part of an appeal against his conviction.
