Jury acquits ex-officer in immigrant's death

A White Plains jury found a former policeman not guilty Tuesday in the death of an illegal immigrant.
Former Mount Kisco Officer George Bubaris was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. The verdict came after just four hours of deliberations.
When the jury forewoman read the second "not guilty" verdict, the officer's supporters in the gallery said "Yes!" and sobbing could be heard. Bubaris walked out of court holding his pregnant wife's hand.Prosecutors claimed Bubaris killed 42-year-old Rene Perez with a blow to the abdomen soon after the undocumented Guatemalan called 911 from a Laundromat. The defense said Perez's drunken, homeless lifestyle led to his fatal injury on April 28, 2007.
In closing arguments, defense attorney Andrew Quinn noted the lack of DNA or other forensic evidence. He told the jurors, "You can't find anybody guilty of anything in this case based on theevidence.""[I'm] very ashamed to see a police officer involved with a homicide ... and nobody did justice in New York," said Perez family friend Mauricio Arriaga.
The Perez family is suing Bubaris, the town of Mount Kisco and the police department in civil court.
Click here for team coverage on the defense side of the case.
Click here for team coverage on local reaction to the verdict.