COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – A jury found Rick Chow, a former Columbia-area gas station owner, not guilty in the shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in May 2023.
The decision came after over eight hours of deliberations, including instances where the jury asked for instructions to be clarified to them.
Both the state and Chow’s defense presented their closing arguments Monday, nearly a full week after the trial began.
Prosecutors argue Carmack-Belton was fatally shot in the back after being falsely accused of stealing a water bottle from Chow’s store in May 2023. Prosecutors also said Chow chased Carmack-Belton over 100 yards from his former store on Parklane Road.
The defense asserted that the teen pointed a gun at Chow’s son, Andy, and Chow responded by firing the fatal shot.
Andy Chow took the stand in his father’s defense Friday, saying he yelled to his father that Carmack-Belton had a gun before putting his hands up and backing away.
Andy Chow also claimed he told Carmack-Belton to drop the gun and said the teen refused before his father opened fire.
Andy Chow testified he worked at his parents’ Shell station on Parklane Road and was familiar with shoplifting issues there. Jurors heard about what was described in court as a “wall of shame,” with pictures and descriptions posted of past shoplifters.
Andy Chow testified the purpose was to show “who and what they stole,” and that store policy—if someone on that wall came back—was to ask that person to leave.
He also testified that the store had a surveillance system and described technology he said would alert staff if someone entered who was in their system.
Andy Chow faced cross-examination about the family’s gas station and how they handled suspected shoplifting. A prosecutor pressed Andy Chow, asking him why he didn’t call 911 instead of chasing Carmack-Belton.
The state does not dispute that the teen had a 9 mm pistol with a laser on him that night, but argues he had no intention of using it.
After the prosecution rested its case Friday morning, the defense requested a directed verdict to acquit Chow. They argued prosecutors failed to prove the shooting was done maliciously and that Chow was only trying to protect his son. The motion was ultimately denied.
Chow’s defense rested its case after calling two more witnesses, including an EMS student who claims they saw Chow helping with CPR after Carmack-Belton was shot.
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