BPS Employee On Trial For Shooting Student Says He Didn't Do It

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA — Shaun O. Harrison is accused of shooting a 17-year-old High School Student execution style in the back of the head in 2015. At the time, Harrison was an employee at the high school and someone who students said they trusted and simply called simply "Rev." But the prosecution and witnesses said Harrison was actually leading a double life and leading a crime drug network.

When parents send their children to school, they trust the people at those schools to do the right thing Prosecutor David Bradley told the court Wednesday during his closing arguments. He then said Harrison betrayed that trust.

"Shaun Harrison was a drug dealer," he said according to reporters in the court room.

But the defense told the court it should weigh the credibility of the young people who testified and questioned why students who had heard that Harrison was possibly going to shoot the teen, didn't go to authorities.

"There is more than enough reasonable doubt for you to find Shaun Harrison not guilty," Defense Attorney Bruce Carroll said.

Harrison's trial this week for armed assault with intent to murder wraped up in Suffolk County Superior Court. Harrison has pleaded not guilty. The final arguments were made in court today and the jury heads into deliberation shortly.

Harrison was the unofficial "Dean of Academy" at English, where a Boston Public Schools spokeswoman previously said he served as a family outreach coordinator. Harrison was known around town as "Rev" short for reverend, though he may not have been ordained, community organizer and church-goer. Residents said he mentored gang members and hosted anger management classes. He was outspoken about violence in the community and he'd worked for the school system for some five years. But some say he lead a double life.

Prosecutors said that Harrison recruited the 17-year-old boy to sell marijuana for him in the high school cafeteria. The teen told police he visited Harrison's apartment in Roxbury, held a gun and smoked marijuana with him. Other teens took the stand to corroborate this.

After a dispute two weeks later, he allegedly shot the boy in the head while walking down Magazine Street, an incident prosecutors say was captured on surveillance video.

The student, who survived, at first told hospital staff that someone he sold pot to had shot him, argued the defense but later identified Harrison as the shooter.

The prosecutor told the court that because Harrison hung certificates from the Boston Police on his wall in his office it's understandable that the teen would be afraid to tell anyone. But it didn't take long before he did.

Police reported detectives found drugs, a rifle, a shotgun, a firearm and several rounds of ammunition in Harrison's Roxbury apartment.

When Boston Police detectives investigating the shooting got to Harrison’s home, they saw three men leaving the building in possession of marijuana, firearms, and a police scanner.

They were arrested and two of them bore tattoos similar to one Harrison prompting prosecutors to believe they were there to remove evidence.

After securing a warrant, prosecution said police found photos of drugs and guns on Harrison's phone.

Harrison was arrested the following day and was fired and has been in jail since. In 2016 he was set to go on trial but it was rescheduled after Harrison fired his first lawyer.

He was arraigned in 2015 on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, unlawful possession of a shotgun, unlawful possession of a rifle, and possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute.

Previously:

• BPS Employee Accused of Shooting Student Fires Lawyer (2016)
• Former School Employee Shoots Teen (2015)
• English High School Employee Accused Of Shooting Teen (2015)

Check out the closing arguments here posted by Law & Crime:

And the closing arguments from the defense:

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File photo at the top by Jenna Fisher/Patch