The attorney for Raquan Borum and prosecutors agree on one thing: Borum shot and killed Justin Carr last September during protests in uptown. But they disagree on why. Borum's attorney says it was an accident.
WFAE's Lisa Worf reported on Borum's bond hearing Thursday with Mark Rumsey during All Things Considered. Here's a transcript of that segment:
MR: Lisa, why do both sides agree Borum shot Carr?
LW: Well, prosecutors have said before that Borum confessed to police right after the shooting, but today was the first time we heard his attorney say that. Borum's attorney Terry Sherrill says it appears there was only one shot fired and Borum's gun was, in fact, discharged. Prosecutors also point to videos from traffic cameras, businesses, and media that they say indicate Borum was the one who shot Carr.
MR: Is there any evidence that indicates this could be an accident?
LW: This came out in a bond hearing today, so it wasn't a trial situation. Sherrill's argument was that Borum was overwhelmed by the moment, drew his gun....and, yes, shot. He said maybe it was negligence, an accident, but he didn't intend to kill anyone. Here's Sherrill speaking after the bond hearing:
"We have someone that says he noticed that after he heard the shot and he looked and he saw Borum,that he had an appearance of shock on his face, as if he hadn't intended it to go off."
LW: He said Borum should be charged with manslaughter, not first degree murder.
MR: Now, there have been lots of conspiracy theories voiced that police shot Justin Carr. Will this do anything to put those to rest?
LW: People with a group called Charlotte Uprising have made those claims. I checked in with Ashley Williams from there and she says she still doesn't believe that Borum shot Carr, that it was police.
MR: So what happens now?
LW: The court has set a date for what's called a plea conference. That's May 18. The DA could decide by then what they want Borum to plead guilty to and then he and his attorney will have to decide whether to take it or not.
