Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A hate crime charge has been dropped against a federal agent shot last year after police say he pointed a laser-sighted gun in the direction of a uniformed Louisiana State Police trooper.
In a statement Friday, Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office spokesman Ken Daley said prosecutors dropped the charge against 44-year-old Ronald Martin, of Fort Knox, Kentucky. He says the office will continue to press the remaining charges, including aggravated assault upon a police officer with a firearm.
Martin's attorney Elizabeth Carpenter says Martin wasn't intentionally pointing his gun at anyone.
NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports Daley said the charge was dropped after the district attorney's office could not prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Martin intentionally pointed his laser-equipped gun at the trooper in December.
___
Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
