Trial of former Blackwater guard charged in mass shooting in Iraq ends in a hung jury

[TexasTowelie]

WASHINGTON – The retrial of a former Blackwater Worldwide security guard accused of instigating a mass shooting in Iraq a decade ago has ended in a hung jury.

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth declared a mistrial on Wednesday after jurors said they were unable to reach a verdict after 16 days of deliberation on a murder charge against Nick Slatten, 34, of Sparta, Tenn.

It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors would attempt to retry the case. The U.S. attorney's office said it is reviewing the case and has no further comment at this time.

Slatten was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2014 for his role in the 2007 shooting in Baghdad’s Nisour Square. Fourteen unarmed Iraqi civilians were killed and 17 others, including women and children, were wounded in the attack, which happened during the war between Iraq and a U.S.-led coalition.

Read more: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/05/iraq-war-mistrial-declared-case-against-former-blackwater-guard/922045002/