Photo: Getty Images
A Black man who admitted to fatally shooting a "racist" white robber will not face jail time for killing him, according to The Toronto Star.
Vaughan Oscar Roberts, a 21-year-old living in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada, originally faced a second-degree murder charge for killing 43-year-old Jason Wagar, but the charge was formally withdrawn before his sentencing on Tuesday, March 7.
Roberts pleaded guilty to illegally possessing the handgun used to shoot Wagar, who reportedly set up a "racially motivated" robbery at a Kingston apartment on August 12, 2021. Judge Alison Weaver of the Ontario Court of Justice handed the 21-year-old a conditional sentence, citing the role of systemic anti-Black racism.
“Black Canadians face discrimination in every important sphere of life, including the justice system,” Wheeler said, adding that the attack inflicted a "significant moral harm" on Roberts. She explained that such harm was "compounded by the laying of the murder charge when in fact Mr. Roberts was the victim in those events."
Roberts was visiting his friends to "engage in the illicit sale of controlled substances" at the apartment, according to a statement of facts agreed to by Assistant Crown Attorney Greg Skerkowski and Selwyn Pieters, Roberts' attorney. He reportedly brought the gun for protection but didn't intend to use it.
Pieters referenced messages showing Wagar using racist remarks and slurs, including the N-word, to refer to Roberts and other Black people in the area before the robbery. Wagar was also upset because he "didn't want n*****s selling dope in his house," his friend reportedly told police.
A report by Barrington Walker, a Wilfred Laurier University professor specializing in the history and impacts of anti-Black racism, was used to argue for a more lenient sentence for Roberts during the trial.
Judge Wheeler ordered Roberts to serve 538 days outside of jail, including a period of 12 months of house arrest and GPS monitoring. The conditional sentence also included a curfew, counseling, 200 hours of community service, as well as weapons and illegal drug restrictions.
The 21-year-old man apologized to the court before his sentencing.
“Mr. Roberts accepts responsibility for the illegal firearm he had on him, plead guilty to that and he was sentenced today for that,” Pieters said in a statement, noting Wheeler's reasons were very “careful and balanced a lot of factors.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.