Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Black acquitted in Jew's slaying Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 15:33:28 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \SS (WS) \HD Black acquitted in Jew's slaying \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT NEW YORK NEW YORK (AP) - A black teen-ager was acquitted yesterday of stabbing to death a rabbinical student during a riot last year in a neighborhood shared by blacks and Jews. Lemrick Nelson, 17, was accused of killing Yankel Rosenbaum, 29, of Melbourne, Australia, during the riot that erupted after a black boy was struck by a car from a Jewish leader's motorcade and fatally injured. Seven-year-old Gavin Cato's death on Aug. 19 touched off days of unrest between blacks and Jews. Police and reporters were injured and dozens of protesters were arrested. Mayor David Dinkins was chased from the neighborhood by an angry mob. A state Supreme Court jury acquitted Mr. Nelson of murder and manslaughter charges after four days of deliberations. He showed no reaction as the verdict was announced. Later, Mr. Nelson told reporters, "I was in a state of shock." He had been jailed since his arrest 14 months ago. The verdict touched off an angry response from the Hasidic Jewish community. About 1,000 people gathered last night at a rally in Crown Heights, the neighborhood in Brooklyn where Gavin Cato and Mr. Rosenbaum were killed. It was generally peaceful, although police reported one arrest and one injury from bottle throwing. Hundreds of people marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall chanting: "We Want Justice!" Outside the courthouse, about 100 Hasidic Jews chanted, "Every Jew a .22" - a reference to a small-caliber firearm. "You can slaughter a Jew in the city today and walk the streets a free man," said one of the crowd, Yehuda Kapaloun. "Yankel Rosenbaum's fate was decided by a jury of what was certainly not his peers." The jury was made up of six blacks, four Hispanics and two whites. Police said they found a bloody knife on Mr. Nelson, that he confessed to the stabbing and that Mr. Rosenbaum, before he died, identified him as his assailant. But Mr. Nelson's lawyer said he was framed by corrupt police. Prosecutors said Mr. Nelson was caught up in the violence that broke out after Gavin Cato was run down by an out-of-control car from the motorcade of the Lubavitch grand rebbe. Shortly after the traffic accident, Mr. Rosenbaum was surrounded by more than a dozen young blacks and beaten and stabbed. Only Mr. Nelson was charged with his murder. "I did not believe the police were honest," said juror Norma Hall as she left the courthouse. Jury foreman John St. Hill cited "a lot of inconsistencies in the facts" as the reason for the acquittal. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM