Karen Read Acquitted of Murder, Convicted of DUI After Supporters Cheer Verdict

Acquittal and DUI Conviction

• 🎯 Karen Read was acquitted of second-degree murder charges in the retrial for the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe.
• ⚠️ However, the jury convicted her of a lesser included charge of drunk driving.
• ⚖️ She faces a sentence of one year of probation for the DUI conviction.

Prosecution's Accusation

• ❄️ Prosecutors alleged that Read hit John O'Keefe with her SUV in January 2022 and left him to die in the snow outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts.

Reed's Statement to Supporters

• 🙏 Read expressed deep gratitude to her supporters for their financial and emotional assistance over the past four years.
• ✊ She asserted that no one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than she and her legal team.

Atmosphere Outside the Courthouse

• 🎉 The verdict was met with loud cheering and screaming from a crowd of approximately a thousand supporters outside the courthouse.
• 🥳 The atmosphere was described as concert-like, with people crying, hugging, and celebrating, with confetti scattered on the sidewalks.
• 🗣️ Many supporters truly believed an innocent woman was framed, making the verdict an emotional and vindicating moment for them.

Statement from John O'Keefe's Friends

• 💬 Friends of John O'Keefe, some of whom were inside the house the night he died, issued a statement calling the case a conspiracy infected by lies.
• 🗣️ They stated they would have more to say in the future but offered condolences to the O'Keefe family.
• 🎭 They accused Reed of making a PR stunt out of the trial.

District Attorney's Silence

• 🤫 The District Attorney's office has remained silent on the verdict and has not commented despite multiple attempts by CBS News to reach them.
• 🚫 Karen Read's attorneys stated that they do not believe the investigation into John O'Keefe's death should be reopened, considering the case closed.