Ohio prosecutor: Officer’s Confederate flag T-shirt relevant

CINCINNATI – Prosecutors in Ohio say a T-shirt with a Confederate flag emblem worn by a white police officer under his uniform is relevant evidence for countering his claim that he feared for his life when he shot an unarmed black motorist.

Hamilton County prosecutors are opposing a defence bid to keep the shirt out of ex-University of Cincinnati Officer Ray Tensing’s murder retrial. The defence says the T-shirt isn’t relevant, but could prejudice the jury.

Prosecutors say his undamaged clothing shows he was not being dragged when he shot Sam DuBose during a 2015 traffic stop.

A photo of the shirt was shown at Tensing’s first trial, which ended in a hung jury.

Judge Leslie Ghiz (ghiz) will check on other pretrial matters this week ahead of May 25 jury selection.