CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Othal Wallace, the man accused of shooting and killing Daytona Beach Police officer Jason Raynor in 2021, was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter on Saturday morning.

That's after almost 15 hours of deliberation.

Wallace was accused of shooting Daytona Beach officer Jason Raynor in June 2021. Raynor died from his injuries in two months later in August. Wallace had been charged with attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer with a firearm. He faced the death penalty if convicted.

The jury came down with a verdict at 11:23 a.m. Prosecutors and defense lawyers shook hands after the verdict before prosecutors walked out of the courtroom without talking to media.

Defense lawyers, walking out seconds later, called the conviction "an extraordinary outcome."

“We are unbelievably grateful for the jury’s work in consideration of an offense that would result in a death penalty,” said Tim Pribisco, a defense lawyer. 

Before the verdict was read, the judge said it's been "a raw and emotional case for both sides."

Wallace was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter, meaning that the jury unanimously came to this conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt.

After the verdict was read, the judge ordered Wallace be taken into custody, with Wallace extending his hands and then escorted out of the courtroom - his mother saying, "I love you, I love you."

The defense lawyer outside the Clay County courthouse said he doesn't want to measure Wallace's conviction as a win or a loss, saying he's grateful for the outcome and they're looking forward to moving on now.

“There was a loss of a life — that’s tragic, that’s what brought us here. I think the sentiment from our side is that this is an extraordinary outcome under the circumstances and we don’t relish in the fact that Officer Raynor passed away, or the cirucmstances leading up to it,” he said.

Wallace's defense team said he felt relieved the jury did not find him guilty of a first degree murder conviction. This could have led to the death penalty.

Wallace could be looking at up to 30 years in prison.
 

Leading Up to the Verdict

Deliberations began Friday morning and closing arguments wrapped up just after 8 p.m. Thursday.

Wallace was accused of shooting Raynor in June 2021. Raynor died from his injuries in two months later in August.

The trial has been going on all week and on the fourth day, Wallace took the stand in his own defense. He reiterated what his lawyers have been claiming all week, which is that he acted in self-defense.

“I was already nervous and kinda surprised because I didn’t know who it was. I was nervous and confused. Caught off guard," said Wallace. “I couldn’t leave he was standing in the doorway …  I made three efforts to walk away and it happened very fast."

On Friday, the judge read the jury instructions before they were officially released to begin deliberations. Both the prosecution and the defense have spent the week calling witnesses to testify and driving their individual points.

The state focused on how Raynor was not here to testify why he approached Wallace to begin with. They also maintained an argument that Wallace had a strong disdain when it comes to law enforcement, referencing social media posts he allegedly wrote.

“The defense says you can’t read Othal Wallace’s mind. I submit to you, you don’t have to," said the state prosecutor. "All you have to do is listen to them post and read those post and listen to that message. I mean it’d be one thing if he didn’t kill Jason Raynor, if he didn’t plant a bullet in his brain, but that’s what he did.”

When Wallace was captured in a treehouse in Georgia after the shooting, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said at the time the property where the treehouse was located was affiliated with a group called the "Not F’ing Around Coalition," also known as NFAC, and it is a Black nationalist paramilitary organization.

On the defense’s side, Wallace’s attorneys argue it was self-defense, saying Raynor blocked the defendant from leaving, causing him to react.

"Or is it the real human circumstance of a person who is surprised and caught off guard, and then in a defensive posture and reacting to the provocation that they did not deserve?" he said. "That's what's shown in the video, members of the jury."

Both the prosecution and the defense wrapped up with closing arguments Thursday night, but not before Wallace took the stand. Wallace claimed that the social media posts weren’t meant to suggest a dislike for law enforcement, but rather: “A reflection of what he was feeling at the moment with what was taking place all over the country.”