San Diego officer acquitted in shooting

SAN DIEGO, June 23 (UPI) -- A San Diego police officer acquitted in the shooting of a woman and her son during a traffic dispute will return to limited duty, his boss said Tuesday.

A jury cleared Officer Frank White, 29, of all charges Monday. Chief William Lansdowne said an internal investigation, expected to take about three weeks, will determine whether White should be disciplined, which could include losing his job, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

White will be in operations support and will not be on patrol, Lansdowne said.

"I'm ecstatic that they're going to put him back to work," Rick Pinckard, White's lawyer, said. "Frank is a police officer, and that's what he wants."

Rachel Silva, 29, the woman White shot, has pleaded guilty to child endangerment and drunken driving, and faces up to two years in prison when she is sentenced.

Prosecutors said Silva, who had her 8-year-old son with her, was driving erratically on March 15, 2008, when she encountered White and his wife. She followed their car into a parking lot, tailgating them.

The Whites testified they believed Silva was about to drive into them. Silva did not testify at the trial, although her son did.

White fired five times, hitting Silva in the arm and her son in the leg, the Los Angeles Times reported. Both have recovered.

White, who could have received a 9-year prison term if he had been convicted, testified he believed he and his wife were in mortal danger when he fired, the Times said.