Jury Finds In Favor of Ivory Webb Jr. On All Counts
After only two and half hours of deliberations, the jury Thursday afternoon returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts against Ivory J. Webb Jr., the former California sheriff's deputy who was accused of attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm.
The charges stemmed from the Jan. 29, 2006, shooting of Elio Carrion.
Carrion, an Iraq war veteran home on leave, was the passenger in a Corvette that led Webb on a high-speed chase. The chase ended when the driver crashed on Francis Street in Chino, prompting Webb to hold the car's two occupants at gunpoint. A nearby resident caught the subsequent shooting on tape.
The tape appears to show Webb shoot Carrion as Carrion complied with the deputy's orders to get up off the ground.
Prosecutors claimed Webb was angry and out of control when he shot Carrion. Defense lawyers claimed the deputy shot because he believed Carrion reached for a weapon and lunged at him.
The San Bernardino County deputy, who lost his job as a result of the incident, showed no emotion throughout the monthlong trial. He sat stonefaced for the bulk of closing arguments Tuesday and Wednesday.
Upon hearing the verdict, however, the son of former Compton Police Chief Ivory Webb Sr. was clearly overjoyed.
Webb, however, is still not completely out of the woods. Federal charges as well as civil remedies may still be pursued, according to attorneys representing Elio Carrion.
DAILY BULLETIN