Christopher Lucius acquitted of attempted murder in 2021 shooting
CANTON ‒ A Stark County Common Pleas Court jury on Friday acquitted a Canton man of attempted murder for a 2021 shooting.
Christopher Lucius, 34, was accused of shooting a Cleveland man on March 5, 2021, at a residence in the 3700 block of Fairmount Boulevard NE.
The jury found Lucius not guilty of attempted murder, felonious assault and two weapons-related charges.
The case was tried by special prosecutors from the Ohio Attorney General's office to avoid a potential conflict with Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone's office.
More: Man indicted in 2021 Canton shooting after charges dismissed against another
After the verdict was read, Judge Kristin Farmer ordered Lucius to be released from custody.
"Good luck to you," the judge told Lucius.
Christopher Lucius maintained his innocence
Defense attorney Ty Graham said after the verdict that his client has maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration. He has been in the Stark County Jail since his arrest in late June.
"He had his day in court and we appreciate the jury for their decision," Graham said.
Before Lucius was indicted, another man, Daniel Pride was arrested. County prosecutors later dropped the charges after new evidence showed Pride was a Canton restaurant at the time of the shooting.
Also charged is Manranzano Grimes, 32, of Canton. He faces counts of having a weapon while under disability and felonious assault with a firearm specification. His trial is set to begin Tuesday.
The shooting in Canton
According to court documents, on March 5, 2021, a man went to Heritage Christian School to pick up his daughter, but school personnel would not permit him because the child's mother had instructed them not to release the girl to her father.
The father drove to the child's mother's home on Fairmount Boulevard NE, where Grimes also lived.
Grimes had a gun, which he wasn't allowed to have due to prior criminal convictions, according to police. A report said Grimes dropped the gun and began to fight with the father.
Another man arrived at the home as the pair were fighting, and shot the father three times in the chest. The police report indicates the shooter then drove away.
Court records allege the mother then handed Grimes' the gun and Grimes pistol-whipped the man who had been shot while he was on the ground.
The victim was brought to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital. He survived the shooting but lost a portion of his lung.
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jury acquits Christopher Lucius of attempted murder of Cleveland man
