A Richmond County jury took about three hours Friday to find Thomson man Terrence Cumber guilty of felony murder in the 2020 Broad Street shooting death of Ahmad Popal.
Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone sentenced Cumber to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the felony murder verdict, plus five years for possessing a firearm while committing a crime. Felony murder occurs when someone causes a death while committing a separate felony. Cumber was found not guilty of the more serious charge of malice murder.
A small group of Popal’s family members sat through about three days of testimony by a dozen witnesses that began Tuesday.
Her brother was a “gentle soul,” said Popal’s sister, Farida Popal Farmer, Friday. “He was a kind, beautiful person. He did not deserve to be killed like this.”
The killing occurred in the 1200 block as the bars closed June 21, 2020, after Cumber, now 29, and Popal, 23, had an encounter involving a woman at the Scene nightclub where video showed much alcohol was involved.
Taking place weeks after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, it attracted widespread attention and drew cries of white privilege when Cumber, who is white, was released from jail on his own recognizance on charges of killing Popal, who was Muslim.
Much of the testimony centered on what happened in the club prior to Cumber being asked to leave and the moments immediately after, when he headed across Broad with his brother and sister-in-law then fired a single shot at Popal, who was approaching them but unarmed.
In his closing argument, Cumber’s defense attorney Scott Connell asked the jury to consider whether prosecutors had proved every element of the charges, and whether Cumber was justified in his use of force. Evidence had showed Popal was “brooding” and the “aggressor” in the conflict, while Cumber’s firing only a single shot indicated a lack of malice or planning, Connell argued.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Kevin Davis argued in closing that evidence had made “very clear” that it was the Cumbers — Terrence, his brother and sister-in-law – who’d been the problem.
“That’s why the staff removed them” from the club, Davis said.
Referencing earlier trial testimony, Davis noted sister-in-law Cassidy Cumber had lied to police at the time of the killing about the threat Popal posed. He said the DA’s office would not be charging Terrence Cumber’s father, Charles, with perjury despite what was said and that he’d “showed his whole natural behind” on the witness stand.
In a statement, Augusta Circuit District Attorney Jared Williams said the case’s lead prosecutor, William Hammond, had fought through illness during the trial to get justice for Popal’s family. He then noted the role of alcohol in the murder.
“Guns and alcohol do not mix,” Williams said. “On the eve of Masters Week, do not let a night of celebration turn into life in a cell.”
