CASTRO VALLEY, CA — A San Leandro man was sentenced last month to 22 years in prison for killing another man in Castro Valley during a marijuana deal in 2018, according to a report from The Mercury News.
Jurors acquitted 28-year-old David Damascus Harrison Jr. of murder in the death of Joseph Gormley on Aug. 9, 2018, but found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter, according to the report.
Gormley was sitting in a car in the 2300 block of John Court near Interstate Highways 580 and 238 around 5:30 p.m when he was shot multiple times.
Marcus Smith, who was driving Harrison that day and was later convicted of being an accessory to the crime, testified that the shooting was over $20 worth of marijuana, according to the report.
In his testimony, Harrison told jurors that Gormley pulled out a Taser during the deal and he mistook it for a gun, according to the report. Harrison's attorney, meanwhile, argued that the shooting was in self-defense and therefore legally justified, according to the report.
But a judge said during sentencing that leniency on gun crimes hurt society and that Harrison should not have had a gun, given that he was previously convicted of another crime, according to the report.
Read more from The Mercury News.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Castro Valley Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.