Man who shot good Samaritan convicted of manslaughter

NEW LONDON, Conn. – A jury has convicted a man who fatally shot a good Samaritan who stepped in to stop an assault on a woman outside a Connecticut bar.

The Day reports that Dante Hughes was convicted Thursday of first-degree manslaughter in the December 2016 shooting of 24-year-old Joey Gingerella outside Ryan’s Pub in Groton.

Witnesses told police Gingerella was trying to stop Hughes from assaulting his girlfriend in the parking lot.

Hughes had faced a murder charge, but the jury convicted him of the lesser manslaughter charge. He still faces up to 50 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for Oct. 4.

Gingerella is the stepson of state Rep. Joe de la Cruz.

Hughes had claimed self-defence. His attorney said after the verdict that “the jury did the right thing.”

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Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com