Jul 2, 2009 11:56 am US/Eastern
Ranger Cleared In NJ Shooting Of Native American
Park Ranger Chad Walder Found Not Guilty In Emil Mann's Death
HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBS) ―
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Chad Walder was found not guilty in the death of Emil Mann, a member of the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation.
CBS
Jurors have found a New Jersey park ranger not guilty of reckless manslaughter for the deadly shooting of a member of the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation, CBS 2 HD has learned.
The shooting happened after rangers arrested Emil Mann on charges of illegal weapons possession and stopped several others for riding all-terrain vehicles in 2006.
At trial, a lawyer for ranger Chad Walder said he was on the verge of being disarmed when he fired three times in self-defense. Mann died nine days later.
Prosecutor James Santulli said Mann was unarmed and standing about five feet away with his hands up when Walder fired.
Mann was 45 and a resident of Monroe, N.Y.
The jury deliberated for two days. The charge carried a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
Opening statements began Thursday, June 4.
Walder's attorney tried to convince a jury he shot Mann in self-defense.
"Emil Mann jumped on him, and he jumped on him and he had him from the back hitting him. And then after hitting him, he tried to grab his gun," said Bob Galantucci, Walder's lawyer.
Walder's wife, who is also a New Jersey park officer, was also present.
During the trial, jurors got a look at Mann's bullet-pierced jacket and police dash-cam video of the area where the tragedy occurred more than three years ago.
"You're going to hear how Chad Walder panicked during this moment and that during that period of time he was face to face with Emil Mann and he fired the two shots and it did not have to happen," Santulli said.
The defense claims that Mann's cousin Otis was attacking another park officer and that Walder was trying to help her when an intoxicated Mann jumped out of a bush.
"He said, 'Stop! Stop!' Emil Mann said, 'Shoot me!'" Galantucci said. "And he lunged for the gun."
"You're going to hear he was intoxicated and he had a .103 blood alcohol level," Santulli said.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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