Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher was found not guilty on Tuesday after being accused of killing a 17-year-old Islamic State fighter in U.S. custody.
Gallagher, 40, was acquitted on charges of premeditated murder, witness intimidation, and assault, but was convicted of a single charge related to posing for pictures with an Iraqi militant's corpse. Gallagher was in Iraq in 2017, and three subordinates told investigators they saw him stab the teen ISIS fighter in the neck. Two of the witnesses testified during the trial, including Petty Officer 1st Class Corey Scott, who stunned the courtroom by saying he had actually killed the fighter; Scott said after Gallagher stabbed the militant, he covered the breathing tube with his finger, in order to end the teen's suffering.
Three other SEALs said they witnessed Gallagher shooting at civilians in Mosul, hitting a girl and an elderly man, and a fourth said Gallagher told him he shot a young girl. During the trial, Gallagher's attorneys claimed that the SEALs made everything up as part of a conspiracy against his client.