Officer Acquitted in Killing of Mentally Disabled Man

A jury cleared a police officer of murder charges Thursday in the slaying of a mentally disabled man who was shot after he drove away from a gas station without paying.

After the verdict, Jeffrey Gabor, 26, lowered his head to a table and wept. He had no comment outside the courtroom.

Officers from three towns chased Shannon Smith, 27, because he had driven from a gas station in Chenoa, about 25 miles from Bloomington, without paying for $15.05 worth of gas.

Witnesses said officers boxed his vehicle in on Interstate 55 with their cars, and Gabor fired into his back.

A videotape of the shooting, recorded by a camera mounted in a police cruiser, shows Gabor kick the car, then--along with another officer--begin hitting the windows with a baton.

The car driven by Smith, described by family members as mentally disabled, then backed into a police cruiser before surging forward into a parked vehicle blocking his path.

Gabor began shooting through the back windows as the car started forward.

Assistant State Atty. Stephanie Wong described Smith’s death as an execution, telling jurors Gabor should not have shot Smith because no officers were in danger.

Gabor testified he had to make a split-second decision, and fired to protect himself and other officers.

He has been suspended from part-time positions with two police departments and the county coroner’s office. It was unclear whether he would be allowed to return to any of those jobs.

Smith’s relatives have filed a civil lawsuit against Gabor and the towns of Hudson, Chenoa and Lexington. No court date has been set.

The case of a second officer charged with reckless conduct for shooting at Smith’s tires is pending.