By FireRescue1 Staff
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — A firefighter-paramedic accused of spitting on an African-American child, using a racial slur and threatening his grandfather was found not guilty on all charges.
The Kansas City Star reported that Judge Cynthia Cornwell found Terrence Skeen not guilty of battery, assault and disorderly conduct after five hours of testimony, including two witnesses who testified that they saw the incident.
Judge Cornwell said the witness testimonies were incomplete and that proof beyond reasonable doubt had not been given.
The court hearing stemmed from a Feb. 26 incident at a Hooters restaurant. Raymond Harris said he went to get his 3-year-old grandson and was told by another patron that Skeen had spat on the child.
https://twitter.com/nineapart/status/971565966894227456/photo/1
Harris also said Skeen called the child the N-word and threatened to shoot Harris, but Skeen’s lawyer, Tom Bath, said his statements are false.
“None of that happened,” he said. “It didn’t happen.”
The two witnesses who testified in the hearing said Harris’ account was true.
James Berger, who was a patron in the restaurant, said he saw Skeen make a motion that looked like spitting and heard him use the N-word, and another patron, Jared Cross, testified that Skeen said “I’ve got guns.”
Skeen testified and said that while he did argue with Harris and did tell him he carried a gun, it was a “bold-faced lie” that he spat on the child or used a racial slur.
“There was more than one liar in the restaurant,” he said.
Skeen added that he called police once the argument escalated because he felt unsafe.