Soldier convicted in Iraqi's death

HONOLULU, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- A military jury in Hawaii Wednesday convicted a U.S. soldier of a lesser charge in the shooting death of an unarmed Iraqi detainee.

The panel at Wheeler Army Air Field found Spc. Christopher Shore guilty of aggravated assault, but acquitted the 26-year-old soldier from Winder, Ga., of manslaughter, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported. The jury deliberated four hours before reaching its verdict.

Shore, who initially was charged with premeditated murder, faces up to eight years in prison.

"It's an answer to our prayers," Shore's half-brother, Derrick Sparks said after the verdict. "We knew he wasn't guilty of murder."

During the court martial Tuesday, Shore's lawyer, Michael Waddington, said Shore did fire at the man, who was suspected of making bombs. But he said he deliberately aimed to miss after being ordered to fire by his platoon leader, Sgt. Trey Corrales.

The shooting occurred last June near Kirkuk. A witness said Corrales, scheduled for court-martial in April on a murder charge, ordered that all men of military age be shot during a search of a house where bomb-making was suspected.

The detainee was hit five times. His body was not claimed, and his identity remains unknown.