PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police officer’s car was found guilty on two charges, but dodged a potential conviction for attempted capital murder.
The judge dismissed the attempted capital murder charge against Ethan Scott on Thursday, saying the evidence did not rise to the level of conviction on that charge, but there was enough evidence on other charges.
No audio was allowed in court, but at the moment Judge Ken Melvin found Ethan Scott guilty of felony manufacturing an explosive device and misdemeanor arson, Scott showed no emotion and did not flinch when Judge Melvin spoke his decision from the bench.
“Sometimes you get convicted of things you aren’t guilty of, and in this case that happened,” Scott said outside the courtroom.
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Scott’s attorney Steven Washngton thought the witnesses against Scott were weak, claiming they lied.
“He was a white male wearing all black and blond hair. I mean that is not a rare occurrence in Portsmouth on High Street.” At least three people saw the person they all thought was Ethan Scott.
Judge Ken Melvin found the evidence credible enough that Scott was in the area where a Molotov cocktail was thrown off a roof to Allan Thompson’s police unit down below.
The firebomb went off, and the story is Thompson got in the car and moved it so it would not possibly explode.
Outside court Scott said, “I am not guilty. I am disappointed with the two guilty verdicts. I’m not facing as much as I was, so I consider a lot of it a success. That is all I have to say.”
The judge found the witnesses against Scott credible enough to find him guilty, but dismissed three other charges including attempted capital murder, and reduced the arson charge to a misdemeanor.
Still, Scott’s attorney is disappointed, “I’m very disappointed. I anticipated all the charges would be dismissed, but if I can’t have that then having the attempted capital murder charge gone is great.”
Washngton says Scott faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on April 1.