PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida sheriff’s deputy has been charged with manslaughter in the 2013 shooting death of a man who was carrying only an air rifle and may have been unable to hear police commands because he was listening to music through earbuds.
A grand jury indictment released Friday charges Broward sheriff’s deputy Peter Peraza with manslaughter with a firearm in the shooting of 33-year-old Jermaine McBean, who was black. The charge carries a maximum 30-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors said Peraza turned himself in Friday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had a lawyer to speak for him. The Broward Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
McBean was shot by Peraza after 911 callers reported seeing him carrying what appeared to be a real rifle down a busy street.
