Hazelwood man found not guilty in shooting of Pittsburgh cab driver

PITTSBURGH — A jury acquitted a Hazelwood man Tuesday in the shooting of a cab driver, Channel 11’s news partners at

reported.

The verdict was reached after jurors deliberated for four hours. Anthony Lamar Mohamed, 27, was found not guilty of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment for the shooting that took place in the early-morning hours of last Thanksgiving.

Mohamed testified Monday that he didn’t shoot Hakim Ghorbal but that he left Ghorbal’s cab to get his wallet and heard gunshots.

Channel 11 News obtained video of the shooting captured by the cab’s surveillance camera. Ghorbal was shot twice in the back, and he told police that Mohamed made him feel uncomfortable about terror attacks and the Islamic State group.

Defense attorney Patrick Sweeney argued that the only proof the gunman and Mohamed were the same person was Ghorbal's recollection, but while in the hospital a few days after the shooting, Ghorbal couldn't pick Mohamed out of a photo lineup.

"He didn't recognize Anthony Mohamed, but he should have, because he was in the cab with him for 15 minutes," Sweeney said in his closing arguments Tuesday morning,

reported. "At that point, we should start to think… If we're hanging our hat, our conviction, on his recollection, maybe we should pause. His ability to recall is what's important, and his ability to recall is lacking."

Cox Media Group