UPDATE |
Bedford County, PA (WJAC) — A Black Lives Matter activist has pleaded no contest to his role in a shooting during a protest march through Bedford County in August of 2020.
Orsino Thurman, who failed to appear in court on Tuesday for jury selection, arrived late to court on Wednesday prior to the plea deal being completed.
Officials say Thurman was out on bond prior to Tuesday's scheduled jury selection.
On Wednesday, Thurman pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Officials say he will be supervised by Bedford County until he returns to his hometown, where he will continue to be supervised by his local department.
Thurman was facing several charges for exchanging gunfire with a Bedford County man during an altercation while he and a group of activists were marching through the county on their way to Washington D.C.
ORIGINAL |
Jury selection for the trial of a Black Lives Matter activist charged for his role in a Bedford County shooting in 2020 has been put on hold after the man failed to show up to court on Tuesday.
Jurors and attorneys waited for over two hours before a decision was made to postpone the jury selection for the trial of Orsino Thurman.
In March, Thurman rejected two separate plea offers from the Bedford County District Attorney's office.
Authorities say Thurman was initially scheduled to go to trial in early March but had reportedly agreed to plead guilty in the shooting prior to rejecting the offers.
Thurman is facing several charges for his role in the 2020 shooting that occurred during a protest march through the county.
Police say Thurman was part of an out-of-state group of activists who were marching to Washington D.C. in August of 2020.
Investigators say the group later got into an altercation with a local resident, identified as Terry Meyers, during the march and gunfire was exchanged.
Most of the charges against Myers were dismissed or withdrawn after he agreed to testify against Thurman, according to a deal made with the previous District Attorney.
Thurman was extradited to Pennsylvania in 2021 following a police incident in Illinois.
An attorney says a new plea deal may be discussed on Wednesday, if not, jury selection will begin again.
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