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Killer Cop Convicted Of Manslaughter
posted (February 13, 2015)
Police Constable Alpheus Parham shot and killed detainee Alex Goff in May 2010. Goff was in the police station when it happened.

Well tonight, almost five years later, Parham is awaiting sentencing after being convicted by a jury of 12 of the charge of manslaughter.

Justice John Gonzalez presided over a trial where the prosecutor only managed to produce circumstantial evidence against Parham - because there were no eyewitnesses.

Goff was 29 years old at the time and alone in a holding cell when he was shot to his forehead, which was fatal. One police officer testified that he saw Parham go to the back of the cell and shortly afterwards he heard the sound of a gunshot. A second police officer testified that he saw Parham go to the back of the cell and he heard an explosion, then Parham walked out of the station without saying anything to anyone. When the officers went to check what happened, they found Goff, dead with a bullet in his head.

No one testified to the series of events which led to Goff being shot to death by Parham, but the prosecution proved that he was inside the cell by himself, and that Parham went to see him, and only minutes after the sound of gunshots were heard.

After the prosecution closed its case, Parham's attorney, Simeon Sampson, made a no-case submission, which was rejected by Justice Gonzalez.

In his defence, Parham gave a statement from the dock in which he said that Goff tried to wrest away his service revolver when he was escorting him to the restroom. He said they struggled for the weapon, and the gun accidentally went off during the struggle.

After deliberating for about 4 hours, the jury return with a verdict of not guilty for murder, but guilty of Manslaughter. Justice Gonzalez has given Parham until Monday to come up with a mitigation plea, which will be heard at his sentencing hearing then.

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