Cab

"I feel bad for

the Russell family,

especially the kidsand his wife ....

I just hope theycan understand

the position I was inand realize what

was happeningat the time."

- Russell Dossie

·ver acquitted

LEW STAMP/Akron Beacon Journal phooo

Russell Dossie (upper left) listens as Judge John R. Adams reads the verdict in the July 4 shooting deathof Mark Russell. Above, friend Malik Ali (left) hugs Dossie after the cabdriver was found innocent ofmurder and assault, but guilty of possession of a weapon as a felon and tampering with evidence.

Jury convicts Dossie on lesser chargesBY DENNIS MCEANENEYBeacon Journal slqff writer

Russell Dossie cried tears ofjoy yesterday after being acquit­ted of murder in a July 4 shootingthat Akron police called the city'sfirst homicide attributable to"road rage."

Dossie's first words after thejury announced its verdict wentQut to relatives of the victim,\lark Russell, 35.

"I feel bad for the Russell fam-

ily, especially the kids and hiswife," Dossie said. July 4 "is anight I'll never be able to get outof my mind."

"I know his family loved himvery much," Dossie said. "I justhope they can understand the po­sition I was in and realize whatwas happening at the time."

Russell became enraged afterDossie's taxi cut off the van Rus­sell's wife was driving in heavytraffic after Akron's downtown

fireworks show.

As both vehicles were stoppedfor a red light on the TallmadgeAvenue bridge over state Route'8,Russell got out of the van, wentto Dossie's taxi and smashed hisfist through the driver's side win­dow of Dossie's cab.

Dossie reached for a handgunlying on the passenger's seat ofthe taxi and fired one shot. Thebullet penetrated both of Rus­sell's lungs and his aorta. He died

moments later.Dossie hugged friends and re

atives and his attorney, Kirk Mildal, after the jury found him inn.cent of murder, volun tarmanslaughter, felonious assauand carrying a concealed weapOl

The jury, however, found Do:sie guilty of being a convicted feon in possession of a firearm antampering with evidence (for hieing the gun in a trash bin), fell

See ACQUIT, Page AS

.-." The Beacon Jaurrwl. www.Ohio.com

ACQUIT• Dassie free on bond

until his sentencing

Continued from Page Al

nies that carry a maximum com­bined sentence of six years inprison.

Summit County Common PleasJudge John R. Adams set Dec. 17for sentencing on those convic­tions. Adams allowed Dossie to re­main free on bond pending thesentencing.

Had he been found guilty of themore serious· charges, Dossiecould have been sentenced to lifein prison.

"These are truly sad cases,"SummiLCJ;lunty Prosecutor Mi­chael Callahansaid after the ver~dicts. "No one ever wins in caseslike these."

"If for no other reason than thesake of Russell's family, the storyneeded to be told to a jury," Calla­han said. "I have no quarrel withwhat they decided."

Dossie was initially charged .with voluntary manslaughter, tam­pering with evidence and being afelon in possession of a firearm.

On Oct. 21, supplemental indict­ments were issued by the countygrand jury charging Dossie withmurder, felonious assault and car­rying a concealed weapon - all ofwhich were rejected by the trialjury.

At the time of the supplementalindictments, Callahan called them"more of a technical correctionthan anything else."

The supplemental chargesstemmed from a June 1998changein Ohio law allowing murdercharges to be tiled when a deathresults from a first- or second­degree felony act of violence.

In Dossie's case, under the newlaw a conviction for voluntarymanslaughter or felonious assaultwould have allowed his jury to adda conviction for murder.

Dossie said of the supplementalindictments, "I was a little upsetwith the charges. and the way theyput them on, but I guess the sys-

..•..•~----------------

tem has to do what the systemhas to do."

But, he said, "I feel good aboutthe verdicts. I think that's how itshould have been. I have no con­trol over that, but thank God,things came out the way they didhere."

;:\sked what he planned to do inthe future, Dossie said, "Just con­tinue to pray for their family andfor me. I just hope I can have adecent life from here on out."

Dossie said he doubted that hewould resume driving a cab. "Toomany bad memories," he said.

He said he has been receivingthreatening phone calls "and Ihope that with this verdict, they'llstop. I think I've been throughenough. It wasn't my fault."

After the verdicts, JudgeAdams read a statement by jurorssaying they did not wish to be in­terviewed on their decision.

"Both families have suffered a

great deal in this tragedy. We feelwe weighed the evidence carefullyand thoughtfully. Our thoughtsand prayers are with the Russellsand the Dossies at this time," thestatement said. •

Members of Russell's familydid not want to be interviewed, aspokeswoman with Victim Assist­ance said.

Attorney Migdal said of the juryverdict, "This was a very unusualcase. It was a horrible thing and atragic thing for both families in­volved."

"I think the)' ~urors) under­stood that, but I think they under­stood what Mr. Dossie had to dealwith at that time on that bridge.

"From day one, the public hasbeen 100 percent on Mr. Dossie'sside. I think they put themselveswhere he was and said, 'Whatwould I do in the same situa­tion?' "