After 3 hours of deliberation, the jury in the case of former Marion police officer Freddy McEachern found him not guilty on the charge of unlawful conduct toward a child and the jury was hung on the charge of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
In 2006, McEachern was accused of beating his then 9-year-old son because his son lied about why he got suspended from school. Wednesday, McEachern took the stand saying he did beat his son, but didn't let it go to far. He told the jury his son had a skin condition that caused him to bruise easily. The son, now 13, took the stand in defense of his father.
It's up to the state Attorney General's Office to decide if McEachern will be retried on the assault and battery charge. We'll let you know when that decision is made.
