South Carolina Public Radio | By Rochelle Dean
National and local civil rights activists and preachers speak out on the not guilty verdict for Rick Chow. The Richland County store owner was acquitted Monday in the 2023 shooting death of a 14-year-old boy.
The lawn of the New Laurel United Methodist Church in Richland County was covered with social justice and community advocates Wednesday morning. All of them saying they are outraged over the acquittal of Rick Chow.
In the summer of 2023, Chow, a convenience store owner shot and killed 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back as he ran from the store. Chow claimed the teen was trying to steal a bottle of water from his Parklane Road business. The Richland County Sheriff's Department reported that Chow and his son chased Belton from the store and continued going after him for 130 yards before he was shot.
Reverend Nelson Rivers from the National Action Network said while they respect the rule of law and the jury's process, he refused to be silent over his disappointment in a not guilty verdict.
"At the heart of this case is one fact that can not be ignored," said Reverend Rivers. "If the places were reversed, if the shooter and his son were black and the teen white, would the outcome have been the same?"
During the thirty-minute news conference members of the community gathered on the lawn of the Fairfield Road church. Amid the speakers were signs reading "It's About Us" and "I Am Human."
Those in attendance voiced that Belton was seen as a threat and shot to death because of the color of his skin. According to Pastor Rivers the not guilty verdict was a gross miscarriage of justice.
"Even if we have the worst intentions, we are still worth more than a few bottles of water because we have the image of God. Even at our worst, we are still worth something, we are still valuable, and a bullet in our back should not end our life."
Family attorney Todd Rutherford says in his 30 years of working in the criminal justice system he has never seen anything like it. He challenged people to change their thinking by reversing the racial roles. Rutherford doubled down saying the "jury got it wrong".
"While we have to respect what the jury said because we don't have a choice, the jury was wrong," said Rutherford. "This is a simple case of someone armed as they ran with their adult son, as they chased a 14-year-old child a football field's length and shot him in the back. This is what the family saw, what the community saw and what the world now sees. This was a murder that has gone on without being able to hold someone accountable."
Rutherford says the answer is more education.
"Until our society, and our community believe that Black lives matter, that they matter as much as the general society, we will continue to have these problems."
Rutherford made it clear that the fight to hold someone accountable is not over. According to Rutherford, a civil lawsuit had to be put on hold while the criminal case proceeded. Now that it has come to an end, Rutherford says they have officially filed a civil lawsuit against Chow.
Just hours after Wednesday morning's news conference, the memorial for Belton — that had to be taken down during the trial — was re-erected during a memorial held in Columbia. A separate group plans to protest the verdict Saturday June 6, at the South Carolina State House.
