Ridgeland man not guilty of murder in 2021 shooting. How often are suspects acquitted?
When a Jasper County man was found not guilty of murder and several other felonies related to a 2021 gas station shootout in Ridgeland recently, he became one of the rare defendants cleared of murder charges in the 14th Circuit.
In the five counties making up the circuit, about 14.5% of trials for murder or manslaughter end with a not guilty verdict, according to data dating back to 2009.
In the most recent case, Malik Bostick, 25, of Ridgeland, was acquitted of murder, attempted murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime by a Jasper County jury on April 27. Bostick was convicted on a charge of failure to stop for blue lights, a misdemeanor offense in South Carolina.
Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen granted Bostick credit for a previously served five-month sentence, meaning he did not have serve additional jail time on the traffic charge.
“I think the cops got it backward,” said Jared Newman, Bostick’s defense attorney, who argued his client was acting in self-defense when he fired the shots that eventually led to the death of Ridgeland’s Jar’Quest Fields.
The shooting took place the evening of May 15, 2021, as a Honda driven by Fields with one male passenger passed the BP gas station on North Jacob Smart Boulevard in Ridgeland. Noticing Bostick’s car parked near the store, Fields turned his car around and pulled into the parking lot.
Prior to the shooting, Bostick and Fields had a years-long history of feuds, some involving violent crimes between family members, said Lt. Daniel Litchfield of the Ridgeland Police Department.
Reportedly fearing for his life as the Honda approached, Bostick retrieved a pistol from his own car, returning fire only after Fields shot first, Newman said.
With over 50 rounds fired between the three men, the shootout left Fields with a gunshot wound to the head, causing his car to crash into a nearby light pole. Fields later died in the hospital.
After less than an hour of deliberation, jurors agreed that Bostick was acting in self-defense, but Ridgeland investigators still believe he fired the first shots.
No criminal charges are expected for the Honda’s passenger, Litchfield said.
Bostick fled from police vehicles and was stopped about two miles down the road, Litchfield added, explaining the traffic charge.
How rare are murder acquittals?
Data provided by 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office spokesperson Jeff Kidd show the frequency of acquittals and convictions by county since 2009, when the Criminal Career Unit was formed.
Defendants found not guilty of murder, manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter:
- Allendale: 2
- Beaufort: 6
- Colleton: 4
- Hampton: 3
- Jasper: 5
- Total: 20
Defendants convicted of murder, manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter:
- Allendale: 9
- Beaufort: 48
- Colleton: 20
- Hampton: 13
- Jasper: 28
- Total: 118
Conviction numbers include defendants who pleaded guilty. The data excludes deaths linked to DUI and child abuse cases.
