Photo: Getty Images
Jury deliberations are set to continue today in the attempted murder trial of Dontie Mitchell in Albany. Mitchell is accused of being involved in the shooting death of Shieer Leggett on Main Street in Cohoes in August 2023. Initially charged with murder, the charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence, leaving Mitchell facing attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon charges.
Mitchell testified on Friday (December 6), claiming he fired in self-defense. He stated he felt threatened by members of the Blood gang during an altercation and fired his weapon after seeing another man pull a gun. Prosecutors, however, argue that Mitchell was the aggressor in the incident.
Mitchell, who founded the Money Gang Youth Group to mentor young men and teens, explained that he found a gun in his car and carried it to prevent his 13-year-old son from accessing it. He intended to intervene in a situation involving someone he worked with.
Another individual involved, Nalik Sealy, has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in Leggett's death. The jury will continue to evaluate the evidence against Mitchell today.