WOODBINE, Ga. — A Southeast Georga jury acquitted fired Kingsland, Ga. police officer Zechariah Presley on two manslaughter charges, but convicted him Saturday on violating his oath of office for killing an unarmed man last year during a traffic stop.
Presley killed 33-year-old Tony Green on June 20, 2018, during a foot chase. He went on trial Monday on charges of voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter and violating his oath of office.
About 6 p.m. Saturday, a Camden County jury returned its verdict: not guilty of the manslaughter charges but guilty of violating his oath of office charge. Jurors began deliberating Thursday in the case.
Video footage from Presley’s body camera and patrol car dash camera showed him following Green’s car onto a road, Green getting out of his car and starting to run, then Green returning to the vehicle to remove some unidentifiable object. Presley then chases Green on foot.
The chase happened at night on a darkened street making it hard to see what happened next. However, the recording picked up the electrified clicking sound of a stun gun, followed by several gunshots. Presley can be heard telling Green to “stay still,” adding: “I’ve got help coming.”
Another officer arrived to find Presley lying on the ground, saying his head hurts because he struggled with Green on top of him.
Presley subsequently was fired by the Kingsland Police Department, and arrested shortly after the shooting and investigation. He was released from jail on $100,000 bail in July.
In Georgia, violating the oath of office is punishable by one-to-five years in prison.
©2019 The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.)