Crown seeking appeal of acquittal in Hamilton murder case

The Crown is appealing the acquittal of the man who was charged in the shooting death of a Good Samaritan in Hamilton.

Dale King was acquitted of second-degree murder by a jury in November following the death of 19-year-old Yosif Al-Hasnawi outside a Central Hamilton mosque in 2017.

King testified that he shot Al-Hasnawi in self-defence.

If the appeal is successful, a new trial could be ordered.

Al-Hasnawi, a Brock University student and aspiring doctor, had come to the aid of an older man who had been confronted by two other men.

An SIU investigation into an officer who responded to the incident, which interviewed 63 civilian witnesses, revealed the officer told dispatch that a ‘BB gun’ was possibly involved and that the male had ‘minor injuries, superficial to abdomen’.

2:06 Two Ontario paramedics charged in Good Samaritan’s death

Witnesses alleged the paramedics who responded to the scene accused Al-Hasnawi of exaggerating his injuries.

Those same bystanders say the paramedics took too long to treat Al-Hasnawi and take him to hospital.

The trial of two former Hamilton paramedics charged in connection with the case is set to begin Nov. 24.

Christopher Marchant and Steve Snively are charged with failing to provide the necessities of life.

Twenty-one-year-old James Matheson, who was also charged in connection with the shooting, is out on probation after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice charges last year.