Denver Jury clears Uber driver in death of passenger shot 10 times

A jury in Denver found Uber driver Michael Hancock not guilty for the murder of passenger Hyun Kim, reports the Denver Post.

The jury decided after 12 hours of deliberation that Hankock shot Kim in self defense.

Hopclear reports that Hancock picked up Kim after a night of drinking at a karaoke bar. Records show Hancock drove Kim 70 miles despite his destination being only two miles away. Hancock claims Kim refused to get out so he kept driving. A fight broke out between the two before Hancock got out of the vehicle and shot Kim 10 times, hitting him six times.

According to the Denver Post, Hancock testified that Kim touched his leg several times inappropriately. When he told Kim he was going to drop him off, Kim began punching him.

Prosecutors argued that Hancock intended to shoot Kim and questioned his self defense claim. They also say Kim was passed out in the vehicle. He had a blood alcohol level of .308. They say Kim may have been disoriented and started a fight. However, they said the way Hancock shot Kim and how the suspect tampered with the evidence proved that he wasn’t being truthful.

This video from 9News shows the moment authorities released Hancock from jail to waiting family and friends.

Kim’s family attorney says he plans to sue both Uber and Hancock.

“The fact remains that the shooting could have been prevented if Uber had enforced one of its cardinal rules: Drivers are not allowed to have a gun in the car,” said Corboy & Demetrio Partner Francis Patrick Murphy. “Hancock routinely violated this rule and Uber failed to enforce its policy.”

He is survived by a wife and teenage son.

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