A South Carolina jury acquitted a store owner of the murder of a 14-year-old child on Monday.
During the trials, prosecutors argued that 61-year-old Chikei Rich Chow fatally shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton unprovoked. Although the victim was in possession of a semiautomatic pistol, they said that he never threatened anyone with it and he was no longer carrying the weapon once Chow began chasing him.
Multiple witnesses affirmed that the 14-year-old was not holding anything in his hands and did not point the gun at anyone. Witness Lori Carson claimed that the victim looked “scared” during his interaction with Chow and his son.
Chow has gone on record admitting that he did shoot Belton after claiming that the 14-year-old stole four bottles of water from his gas station convenience store. Defense lawyers claim that Chow’s son was being threatened by Belton; in a split decision, he fired one fatal shot at him in order to allegedly defend his son.
After firing, defense lawyers claim that Chow gave the victim CPR, indicating that he did not act with malice.
After Monday’s verdict, sobs from Belton’s family, who were seated in the gallery, could be heard.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what is the value of a human life? To grieving parents who lost a 14-year-old to senseless acts of violence, a human life is priceless,” said prosecutor Byron E. Gipson per local news outlet KVUE. “But on May 28, 2023, Chikei Rick Chow, the defendant in this case, determined that Cyrus Carmack-Belton’s life was worth less than four bottles of water.”
Richland County deputies report that Chow has previously shot at suspected shoplifters. In 2015, he allegedly shot at a vehicle he believed was in possession of stolen goods.
Although no one was harmed, the suspect also threatened to shoot Chow. In 2018, the store owner once again fired two shots at a shoplifter at his station, wounding his leg. The suspect proceeded to attack him and then pleaded guilty once he was charged.
For both cases, authorities did not charge Chow because his actions were protected under the self-defense law.
In this case, however, Chow was charged with murder.
The death of Belton was met with grief in his neighborhood of Richland County. A vigil was held in the area where he passed away with community members leaving balloons, flowers, water and empty bottles in his memory.
Following his death, Rep. Jim Clyburn released a statement.
“The criminalization of Black men and boys and the historic trend of painting them as aggressors have time and again led to deadly and heartbreaking circumstances,” said Clyburn. “Carmack-Belton has since been declared innocent, but his supposed crime of shoplifting a bottle of water should not have cost him his life. I pray justice is swift.”
