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Judge Dismisses Charges Against Man in Shooting of Autistic Teen

A judge presiding over a case in a Detroit courtroom, highlighting the complexities of legal proceedings.

News Summary

A Detroit judge has dismissed all charges against Robert Pugh, accused of shooting 18-year-old autistic teen Claude Woosk after a mistaken drop-off. The dismissal was based on insufficient evidence, with discrepancies in witness testimonies and Woosk’s own conflicting statements. Despite initial charges, the court found no clear link between Pugh and the incident, raising concerns about public safety and the treatment of vulnerable individuals in similar situations.

Detroit – A judge has dismissed all charges against Robert Pugh, a 47-year-old man, who was accused of shooting 18-year-old Claude Woosk, an autistic teen, after a mistaken drop-off in Detroit. The incident occurred on April 9 and initially led to Pugh being charged with multiple offenses, including assault with intent to murder. The dismissal comes due to insufficient evidence, highlighting discrepancies in witness testimonies and the victim’s own account of the events.

Pugh was arrested following the shooting, which severely injured Woosk. The young man was dropped off by an Uber driver at Lenox and Warren in Detroit, far from his home in River Rouge. Woosk’s sister, Violet, had advised him to document his surroundings by taking a photo of a nearby address due to his confusion and disorientation in the unfamiliar area. This evidence was expected to clarify the situation, but conflicting accounts emerged during the proceedings.

According to reports, when Woosk called for help, his sister heard him scream “ow ow ow,” followed by silence after gunshots rang out. Witness Gary Currenton stated that he noticed Woosk taking a photo of his residence and asked him to delete it just minutes before the shooting occurred. Woosk later testified in court, maintaining that he did not interact with anyone prior to the shooting and insisted that he did not take any photos during the incident, raising questions about the reliability of various testimonies.

During the court hearing, Judge Ronald Giles ruled to dismiss the case, citing a substantial lack of corroborative evidence that could link Pugh definitively to the shooting. The judge pointed out the inconsistencies, particularly noting that Woosk’s assertion of having no contact with anyone contradicted what several witnesses had reported. Additionally, it was clarified that Woosk’s autism was not a focal point in his testimony and did not factor into the judge’s rationale for the dismissal.

Video surveillance footage from a nearby liquor store showed an individual running but did not provide clear evidence that this person was indeed Pugh. The judge dismissed the case without prejudice, which means that charges could potentially be re-filed in the future if new evidence surfaces.

Pugh had voluntarily turned himself in to law enforcement days after the shooting incident and had no prior criminal record. Initially, Woosk was reported to have been in critical condition when he was hospitalized but was later upgraded to stable condition. The shooting raised serious concerns among prosecutors who emphasized the implications of an incident involving a vulnerable individual like Woosk, who was described by witnesses as not threatening at any point during the encounter.

Pugh’s legal team argued that the actions taken by Pugh were a case of misidentification, asserting that their client posed no danger to the community. At the time of his arrest, a magistrate set Pugh’s bond at $100,000, with stipulating conditions that included wearing a GPS tether and adhering to a curfew.

As the legal proceedings have concluded for now, the potential for continuing public discourse on the safety of individuals with disabilities in urban settings and the implications of gun violence in similar circumstances remain high. The case sheds light on the complexities of the judicial process when intersecting with issues of mental health and public safety.