Protesters were outraged after the South Carolina jury declared Rick Chow not guilty of murder. In 2023, he shot a 14-year-old boy who was falsely accused of shoplifting from his convenience store.

60-year-old Rick Chow shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back, thinking he had stolen four bottles of water. According to Chow, Cyrus pointed a gun at his son, and his reaction was to defend him. He caused the teenager to be fatally shot.

On the other hand, the case received national attention and blamed RickChow for being an angry man who had a history of violence. After the verdict, several protesters marched to the store to express their disappointment.

In a video posted by @politicalwiz, Rick Chow was seen attacking a young woman while a group of other women was trying to stop him. Chow was angry and made a mess in the store. He crashed into the shelves and did not stop his fight with the woman. This incident took place a few weeks before Chow killed the teenager.

In another incident, Rick Chow had fired his weapon in 2018 when he noticed a man had shoplifted from the store. A pattern of violent behavior leading to his crime is evident. Despite this, he was not charged at that time and has now been found not guilty in the murder case.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The verdict was announced by a South Carolina jury that had seven Black people. Not happy with the verdict, a group of protesters reached the Xpress Mart Shell Station store. Due to this, police officers were stationed to control the chaotic crowd.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott sympathized with the crowd and noted, “I’m pi—d off as much as anybody else. I made the arrest; it is our case. I’m not happy about it.” Moreover, Chow is no longer the owner of the convenience store. According to Atlanta Black Star, the store was bought from the Chow family in 2023.

The current owners of the store released a statement, “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the victim’s family, friends, and loved ones. We have never had, and do not have, any relationship, association, or ties whatsoever with the Chow family. We respectfully ask that our privacy be respected and that any reporting accurately reflect our status as the current owners.”

The teenager’s family reacted after Chow’s acquittal. The family released a statement, “We are heartbroken. We do not accept it. Cyrus stole nothing. He was a child, and he was running for his life. Our son mattered.” According to prosecutors, Chow’s actions were due to the false belief that Carmack-Belton shoplifted. Meanwhile, the defense attorney claimed it was self-defense.

One of Chow’s lawyers, Shaun Kent, also justified representing him, “I don’t judge, God does.” However, he added that he hated that a 14-year-old was dead. He faced several insults and allegations because he was representing Chow.