The outrage is palpable as the country reacts to the verdict in the Cyrus Carmack-Belton murder case. Rick Chow, 44, was found not guilty of murder for killing the 14-year-old back in 2023. A jury of his peers, including seven Black people, reached the verdict Monday. Protesters were outraged after the verdict in the Cyrus Carmack-Belton case was announced (Photo: WIS-TV) Now it appears the chaos is just beginning. The Post and Courier reported that a large group of protesters gathered outside the Columbia, South Carolina, gas station where Carmack-Belton was killed. By Wednesday afternoon, several police officers had been stationed around the clock at the business, barricading it off from the public. “I’m pissed off as much as anybody else,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Tuesday to the group of protesters. “I made the arrest; it is our case. I’m not happy about it.” Lott made the statement with a megaphone in the middle of the crowd, the Post and Courier reported. The gas station is also no longer owned by the Chows. Atlanta Black Star confirmed, based on county records, that it was sold in 2023. The current owners released a statement regarding the verdict on Tuesday. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the victim’s family, friends, and loved ones,” the statement said, according to WIS-TV. “We have never had, and do not have, any relationship, association, or ties whatsoever with the Chow family.” The owners reiterated that they had legally purchased the property in 2023. “We respectfully ask that our privacy be respected and that any reporting accurately reflect our status as the current owners.” After some digging, Atlanta Black Star found a video that claims to be of Chow and his son. The video, originally shared by @politicalwiz in June 2023, shows Chow attacking a young woman or girl as other girls and his son try to intervene. You can see Chow crash into shelves as he struggles with the individuals. He also blocks the women from leaving, the video shows. You can also see just how intense the confrontation was from the scattered merchandise. The women were never identified. According to the caption, this incident happened weeks before Chow killed Carmack-Belton after chasing him down the street in the mistaken belief that the boy had shoplifted from the store. “This man was clearly a ticking time bomb,” the caption says. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Derrick L. Quarles (@politicalwiz) Atlanta Black Star also dug into Chow’s criminal history and complaints he filed over the years. Court documents show one man was charged in a shoplifting incident in 2018 that resulted in Chow firing his weapon. It appears Chow has never been charged in South Carolina except for the death of Carmack-Belton. Now he has beaten that charge. Another one of Chow’s lawyers, Shaun Kent, posted a video on social media Tuesday. He seemed to be defending his decision to represent Chow. The video begins with Kent explaining his legal experience. “I’ve represented three African American males who were accused of raping a little white girl; I have represented an individual who was accused of killing a person, folding their body and sticking them in an abandoned building,” Kent said in the Facebook video. In response to why he represented Chow, Kent said, “I don’t judge, God does.” Kent said he was insulted by allegations that he was only on the defense team because he was Black. “I hate when someone says they want the best lawyer; why can’t the best lawyer be African-American?” Kent added that he hates that at the end of the day, a 14-year-old lost his life. “I hate it for the young man’s family; I 100% do,” Kent said. “I f—kin hate it, but I can’t control that part.” Atlanta Black Star reached out to Kent for comment, but did not receive a response. ‘Clearly a Ticking Time Bomb’: Protesters Flood South Carolina Gas Station Where Black Teen Was Killed, After Shooter Walks, and Now a Newly Unearthed Video Raises Fresh Questions ...read more read less