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Philip Brailsford verdict: Former Mesa officer found not guilty of second degree murder

Posted at 4:40 PM, Dec 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-08 11:12:10-05

A former Arizona police officer has been acquitted in the deadly shooting of an unarmed man nearly two years ago at a hotel in Mesa.

Watch raw video from inside the courtroom as the verdict was read.

The acquittal on Thursday clears 27-year-old Philip Brailsford of criminal liability in the January 2016 shooting death of Daniel Shaver of Granbury, Texas.

Shaver was shot at a hotel in the community of Mesa as officers responded to a call that someone was pointing a gun out a window.

The shooting happened after Shaver was ordered to lay face-down in a hallway.

Brailsford says he fired when Shaver reached toward his back, as if he was pulling out a handgun.

Authorities say it looked like Shaver was pulling up his shorts that had fallen down as he was ordered to crawl toward officers.