Millbrook, AL — Lakeith Smith, an African American man from Alabama, was just 15-years old when he was convicted of felony murder after a police officer shot and killed his friend in 2015 under the state’s accomplice liability law.
Although he did not cause death or harm to anyone, Lakeith was sentenced to 55 years in prison simply because he was with his friend when this happened.
In the body camera footage, it can be seen that one of Smith’s accomplices, 16-year old A’Donte Washington, fired shots to the police.
Under Alabama’s accomplice liability law, Smith was found guilty of murder because Washington died while they were accomplices committing a crime, even though he did not directly cause the death.
“The officer shot A’donte, not Lakeith Smith,” defense attorney Jennifer Holton said during Smith’s trial, according to USA Today.
