2nd Mistrial in Black Motorist’s Death Declared

A second mistrial was declared Saturday in the case of two white suburban police officers charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a black motorist.

After deliberating for 10 hours over two days, jurors said they were deadlocked and further discussion would be futile, prompting Judge James Rowley to declare the mistrial.

Brentwood Lt. Milton Mulholland and Baldwin Officer Michael Albert were accused of contributing to Jonny Gammage’s suffocation when they struggled with him during a traffic stop Oct. 12, 1995.

Gammage died of compression to the neck or chest while officers held him face down on the pavement on a dark highway.

“I can only say one thing--we lost twice, and there must be a reason for it. And that reason is, they don’t want to convict those cops for murdering my son,” said Jonny Gammage Sr.

The officers’ attorneys argued that Mulholland and Albert were just following their training in restraint techniques to get the Syracuse, N.Y., businessman into a position where he could be handcuffed.

They said they would file motions for acquittals within 10 days.

Last October, the case also ended in a mistrial when Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht told jurors that Mulholland should explain his actions. Defendants are not required to testify. Wecht was not called as a witness in the retrial.

Gammage’s family, which includes his cousin, Ray Seals, a former member of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and now with the Carolina Panthers, has filed a civil lawsuit.