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Thirty four year old car dealer, Ken Young who was charged with Manslaughter by Negligence in the fatal shooting of his common-law wife, police constable Myrna Lopez, was acquitted of the charge today by a jury of 6 women and 3 men. The jury deliberated for about three and a half hours before it arrived at a 7 to 2 verdict of not guilty.

The incident occurred on April 1st, 2006 at Grace Bank, located off the Northern Highway at Mile 21. According to the evidence, Young, Lopez and her two children had gone to Grace Bank to spend the day. While there, a misunderstanding between two persons got out of control, when one of them pulled a machete. Constable Lopez intervened by taking away the machete while her husband drew his licensed 9 millimeter pistol and struck the person on his head with it.

The allegation is that the gun fired accidentally in the process, and the bullet struck Lopez in her chest and killed her. The prosecution represented by Crown Counsel Christelle Wilson, called two eyewitnesses, Lopez’s son and daughter to testify. Young gave a statement from the dock in which he admitted that he took out his 9 milimeter pistol and struck the person on his head. He said a gunshot sounded shortly afterwards, but it was not from his gun.

A majority of the jury was satisfied with that explanation and after the not guilty verdict was read, the trial judge, Justice Herbert Lord told Young that he was free to go. Young was represented by Attorney Arthur Saldivar.