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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- March 20, 2017
Court
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Homicides
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Suspects
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In court on Wednesday, the jury found Derryck Decuir not guilty of the first-degree murder charges against him.
In a partial verdict, Decuir was found guilty of carrying a pistol without a license in the shooting that led to the death of Malek Mercer.
During the two week trial, defense attorneys argued that Decuir acted in self-defense when he shot Mercer on the night of June 15, 2015.
Decuir claimed he had no intentions of robbing and killing Mercer that night and only did what the “law permitted him to do’’ according to his lawyer, when he allegedly saw Mercer try to pull out a shotgun.
The government argued that Decuir did not act in self-defense and instead had planned to rob and kill Mercer that night. During the trial a witness came forward and alleged Mercer had a shotgun in his bag before they left the house.
According to police there was no evidence of a gun when they arrived at the scene.
Other charges against Decuir are still pending, and the jury is due back in court Monday to continue deliberating.