South Carolina: Jury acquits Rick Chow of murder in the killing of a teen he thought robbed his store

A South Carolina jury found Chikei Rick Chow, a former owner of a Columbia-area gas station, not guilty of murder in the shooting death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a 14-year-old teenager who died in May 2023.

The verdict, issued after more than eight hours of deliberations, ends the criminal proceedings against Chow, who faced a murder charge for shooting the minor.

The defense argued during the trial that Chow acted to protect his son in the face of what he perceived as an immediate threat. According to his lawyers, the businessman believed the teenager was armed and that his intervention was necessary to prevent further harm.

“This case is not about a shoplifter. This case is about a father who sees a gun pointed at his son and had to make a decision,” defense attorney Shaun Kent told jurors during closing arguments as reported by AP, noting that Andy Chow testified Carmack-Belton pointed a gun at him.

For its part, the prosecution argued that Chow's actions were unjustified and called for his conviction. Prosecutors acknowledged that Carmack-Belton carried a semiautomatic pistol, but argued that the gun fell to the ground during the chase and that the teenager—allegedly—never threatened anyone with it.