Overview

• A federal jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on charges that Aaron Russell deprived Nicholas Bils of his civil rights by shooting him in the back in May 2020.
• Jurors deliberated for more than a week, beginning with an 11-1 split for conviction that narrowed to an 8-4 vote before ending in a deadlock.
• Russell testified that he mistook a loose handcuff in Bils’s hand for a weapon and fired five shots at close range without warning.
• In 2022, Russell pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in state court and served about five months in jail.
• Prosecutors have scheduled a status hearing next month and plan to retry Russell on deprivation of rights and firearm-related charges.