On Oct. 12, former Portsmouth, Virginia officer Stephen Rankin was sentenced for two and a half years for killing unarmed 18-year-old William Chapman last year.
Rankin was charged with voluntary manslaughter in August for killing the teen during an April 22, 2015 Walmart parking lot struggle. According to Atlanta Black Star, the 36-year-old Portsmouth officer responded to a shoplifting call in the area when he encountered Chapman. Initial reports state that Chapman allegedly knocked the former cop’s Taser out of his hands. And at one point during the struggle, the teen told Rankin to “Shoot me.”
WVEC ABC 13 News Now reports that the judge found Rankin guilty of the murder after the jury recommended the two and a half year sentence. The judge also denied defense attorneys request to allow the him to remain free pending the outcome of the appeals process. Rankin’s ex-wife told jurors that he is “capable of complete depravity with other human beings.”
The ruling comes nearly a month after the city of Portsmouth agreed to a $1 million settlement for the 2015 shooting, per Atlanta Black Star.
