Brancato acquitted of murder

BRONX , N.Y., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Actor Lillo Brancato has been acquitted in the murder of a New York police officer, though he was convicted of attempted burglary, New York One said.

A Bronx, N.Y., jury returned the verdict Monday after three days of deliberations.

Brancato, best known for his roles in the film "A Bronx Tale" and on TV's "The Sopranos," is scheduled to be sentenced on the burglary charge Jan. 16, New York One said.

The admitted drug addict was accused of attempting to break into a Bronx home, catching the attention of an off-duty police officer next door who came out of his home to investigate and was shot by Brancato's friend, who is now serving life in prison without the chance of parole.

Brancato testified during his own trial that he was high the night of the 2005 shooting and merely trying to let himself into his drug dealer's house as he had done in the past. He insists he was not attempting to burglarize the home, as prosecutors contended.

Brancato was charged with felony murder, burglary and attempted burglary because he allegedly helped set off the chain of events that resulted in the officer's death.