A graphic video showing an 8-year-old boy accidentally killing himself with an Uzi submachine gun at a fair can be shown to the jury during the manslaughter trial of a former police chief, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter Velis also ruled that the jury in Edward Fleury's trial will hear the recording's audio track at least up to the shooting, but Velis was still deciding whether to leave out some of the sound after the shooting — the boy's screaming and his father praying aloud that his son is all right.
That this video is graphic should be no surprise to any gunny. Not even having seen the video (and I hope I never do) I can imagine what happened, and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
But srsly, what is the point of showing the weapon twisting in the boy's hands to the point that he takes one or more in the head, except to prejudice the jury against the defendant? The boy was allowed to fire a micro-Uzi (with his father's permission, no less), he was unable to control it, and he was killed. In my opinion, there is absolutely no reason to show the boy actually being shot.
It's beyond question that he was shot. It's beyond question that the boy died.
Showing the video is guaranteed to prejudice the jury. That's why the prosecution wants to show it.
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