GRETNA, La. (WGNO) — The jury has reached a verdict in the trial of the two former Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies who were charged with manslaughter in the 2022 death of an unarmed man in Marrero.
After nearly six hours of deliberation, the jury found Johnathon Lewis not guilty of manslaughter. However, they found Issac Hughes guilty of negligent homicide, which is a lesser charge.
Both men were originally charged with manslaughter following the fatal shooting of Daniel Vallee in February of 2022.
The trial began on Monday, and both deputies said they opened fire in self-defense when Vallee dropped his hands and hit the horn.
Deliberation began around 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, and that’s following hours of closing arguments.
The state opened with the last words of 34-year-old Daniel Vallee, which were, “Please put the guns down.”
Prosecutors once again played the body camera footage, showing the moment Vallee was shot to death.
At one point, Hugh’s defense attorney, John Fuller, exclaimed, “All these boys wanted to do was serve their community!”
Frank DeSalvo, Louis’ attorney, said Vallee didn’t deserve to die, but that Vallee painted that picture.
Following the reading of the verdict, Fuller objected the guilty verdict.
The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office issued a statement saying, “We appreciate the time and attention that the jury invested in listening to the evidence in this case. This was a highly emotional case, and we respect the jury’s hard work in reaching their verdicts.”
Hughes’ sentencing date in on June 11 at 9:30 a.m.
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