(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — A Virginia judge has granted a defense motion to dismiss the criminal case against former Assistant Principal Ebony Parker over the 2023 shooting of a teacher by a 6-year-old student.
Parker has been dismissed and has left court, according to ABC News Virginia affiliate WVEC.
Parker was charged with eight counts of felony child abuse with disregard for life in connection with the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News — one count for each bullet that was unspent in the gun, according to the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors in the criminal trial alleged that Parker failed to respond after several staffers raised concerns that the student, identified in the trial as JT, had a gun.
The commonwealth rested on Wednesday after two days of calling witnesses.
Parker pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The dismissal of the criminal trial comes after a jury in a civil trial found that Parker acted with gross negligence in the shooting and awarded the injured teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages.
Zwerner’s attorneys said Thursday’s decision by the judge means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to “deny insurance coverage” in her civil case.
“One of the many obstacles the City of Newport News placed in Abby Zwerner’s path to justice was their argument they could deny insurance coverage in our civil case because of possible criminal conduct,” Zwerner’s attorneys said in a joint statement Thursday. “Today that is no longer an excuse that the City can hide behind.”
“This was always the Commonwealth’s criminal case — not Abby’s civil case. Abby complied with the subpoena requiring her testimony once again, despite the emotional toll of repeatedly reliving this tragedy,” the statement continued. “From the beginning, our focus has remained on obtaining justice in civil court for the preventable failures that led to Abby being shot. A Newport News jury has already spoken, returning a $10 million verdict in Abby’s favor.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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