UPDATE: Man found guilty of attempted murder after shooting Mobile Police officer
UPDATE (5/21 5 p.m.): A Mobile County jury has found Dajoune DuBose guilty of attempted murder for the 2018 shooting of a Mobile Police officer.
Dubose shot Mobile Police Cpl. Ben Towarnyckyj after a traffic stop where Dubose was driving a stolen car.
The trial began on Monday with jury selection and opening statements began on Tuesday morning. The verdict was reached in 20 minutes.
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — It has been nearly six years since Dajoune DuBose allegedly shot a Mobile police officer during a traffic stop in the Walmart parking in the area of Cottage Hill and Hillcrest.
At last, a trial to determine DuBose’s guilt.
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“It has been a long time coming,” Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said.
A jury was selected on Monday, marking the beginning of the trial, which is expected to last up to three days.
“This case was tied up in a mental evaluation process for a long time. You had the COVID pandemic, of course, which created a backlog of cases,” Blackwood said. “The defendant had to change attorneys two or three times.”
At around 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2018, DuBose was pulled over while driving a car he had allegedly stolen from his mother days before.
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When asked to step out of the car, DuBose told officers that because of damage to the driver’s side door, he would have to crawl out of the passenger side. During his preliminary hearing in December 2018, investigators said DuBose reached under the seat for a gun when he got out of the car.
DuBose allegedly fired one round at MPD officer Ben Towarnyckyj from point-blank range and missed. His second shot hit Towarnyckyj in the arm. Towarnyckji then fired four shots before DuBose allegedly drove away and crashed further down the road. DuBose then allegedly fled on foot. A short manhunt in West Mobile started.
In a previous interview with Towarnyckyj, he said the bullet lodged itself 6 inches into his shoulder. He said doctors didn’t take it out as surgery to remove it could have been risky.
DuBose was arrested near Lloyd’s Lane and Girby Road at around 9 the night of the shooting. He was riding a bicycle.
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“The defendant is presumed innocent, but we will be presenting evidence this week that will hopefully change that,” Blackwood said.
DuBose pleaded not guilty to his attempted murder charge. A judge previously set his bond at $507,500.
“His range of punishment for attempted murder with a gun enhancement is 20 to 99 years or life,” Blackwood said.
DuBose is also charged with first-degree property theft, which is punishable by 2 to 20 years.
Towarnyckji is expected to take the stand during the trial.
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