CVS Worker Rips Prosecutors After Acquittal in Times Square Stabbing
Man Cleared of Manslaughter After Midtown Store Stabbing
A former CVS employee was found not guilty of manslaughter after stabbing a shoplifter to death in a Midtown store. The jury took only 20 minutes to reach their verdict, acquitting 48-year-old Scotty Enoe of the charges tied to the July 2023 incident. Enoe, visibly emotional, expressed gratitude toward the jurors and criticized the prosecution’s decision to bring the case to trial.
Enoe was accused of stabbing Charles Brito, an unarmed serial shoplifter known for robbing local drugstores, eight times, with two strikes piercing his liver. Enoe testified that Brito had just assaulted him and his female coworkers, nearly hitting them, and that he stabbed in self-defense. A juror described the manslaughter charge as “the right thing to do,” emphasizing that Enoe deserved to live his life free of wrongful conviction.
Enoe had spent nearly a week at Rikers Island before being released on a $100,000 bail secured by his employer, Big Geyser. He also took the witness stand, asserting he acted to protect himself after Brito, who was aggressive and violent, had just beaten him.
His attorney criticized the prosecution’s case, calling it a “disgrace” that they pursued manslaughter charges and added that the quick jury decision indicated their belief that the case was unjustified. The defense’s stance was that Brito initiated the violence, and Enoe acted in self-defense.
Prosecutors argued Brito was stabbed out of revenge after Brito punched Enoe during a scuffle. Assistant District Attorney Julie Nobel contended that Brito’s actions did not justify violence, asserting that Enoe’s injuries were motivated by retribution, not self-defense.
The verdict comes amid broader criticism of the district attorney’s office, especially in cases involving self-defense. Earlier, the DA dropped charges in a high-profile case involving a bodega worker who stabbed an attacker, which caused public outcry. Enoe’s case underscores ongoing debates about justice and self-protection in New York City.