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Judge acquits Florida officer in pedestrian’s death

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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) - A judge has found a Florida police officer not guilty of a charge of driving carelessly in the death of a pedestrian.

Panama City Police Officer Mark Walter Bohrer appeared Tuesday in civil traffic court. He had been cited after 53-year-old Craig Finch of Wewahitchka died of injuries suffered in the March 30 collision.

According to a News Herald report , Bay County Judge Thomas Welch granted a motion of acquittal after a day of testimony from law enforcement officers and eyewitnesses.

Florida Highway Patrol determined that Finch fell into the road just as the 36-year-old officer attempted to make a left turn in his patrol car. Authorities said dashcam footage corroborated investigators’ findings.

There is no crosswalk at the site of the crash. Finch was pronounced dead at a hospital.

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Information from: The (Panama City, Fla.) News Herald, http://www.newsherald.com