Pennsylvania Officer Acquitted in Murder Trial

Nov. 6, 2015
Hummelstown Police Officer Lisa Mearkle on Thursday was found not guilty of murder in the fatal shooting of David Kassick.

A Hummelstown, Pa. police officer was found not guilty of murder in a fatal shooting on Thursday.

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Watch Raw Video of the Shooting

Officer Lisa Mearkle said she plans to return to the department after her acquittal in the shooting death of 59-year-old David Kassick, according to The Patriot-News.

"I'm relieved that the justice system actually worked, and I'm relieved and happy that I'm going to be able to get my life back to normal like it was before," Mearkle told reporters. "I'm going back to Hummelstown Police Department to serve the citizens of my community. I'm going back."

A Dauphin County jury delivered the verdict Thursday afternoon with Judge Deborah E. Curcillo presiding.

Kassick -- who was later discovered to be unarmed -- was shocked with a Taser before being shot by Mearkle after an attempted traffic stop for an expired inspection sticker on Feb. 2.

Officials said that the suspect fled the officer, which eventually led to a foot pursuit behind his sister's home in South Hanover Township.

Defense Attorney Brian Perry argued that the officer deliberately and defensively because Kassick ignored her commands and continued to reach into his jacket.

"We were always convinced citizens wouldn't second guess a veteran police officer under these circumstances," he said. "Not that a police officer can't be second guessed, because I question police officers all day long every day, but under these facts we were always convinced that this would happen."

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