Former Chandler police officer Daniel Lovelace was acquitted Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court in Mesa on second-degree murder and endangerment charges in connection with the shooting death of Dawn Rae Nelson.
Here is a timeline of Lovelace' police career and events leading up to Friday's verdict.
1996 --Daniel Lovelace applies with the Chandler Police Department.
1997 -- Lovelace attends police academy.
March 13, 2000 -- Lovelace is involved in a high-speed chase in which 19-year-old Bradley Downing, an innocent motorist passing through an intersection, is killed in a collision with the driver of a stolen pickup truck.
May 12, 2000 -- Lovelace is given a letter of admonishment for not using his siren in the chase but cleared of allegations of two other policy violations.
Jan. 19, 2001 -- Downing's parents file wrongful-death lawsuit against Chandler.
April 22, 2002 -- Chandler City Council votes to pay Downing's mother, Kathy Downing, $900,000; the city's insurance company picks up the rest of $1.4 million settlement.
June 4, 2002 -- Downing's father, Dr. Casey Downing, continues his claim in the lawsuit and begins trial. Lovelace sits at the defense table assisting defense attorneys.
June 13, 2002 -- Civil trial is declared a mistrial.
Oct. 11, 2002 -- Lovelace shoots and kills Dawn Rae Nelson as she tries to flee a drive-through pharmacy, where she was trying to fill a fake prescription.
Nov. 7, 2002 -- Lovelace is charged with second-degree murder and endangerment.
Nov. 13, 2002 -- Lovelace is fired from Chandler Police Department.
May 23, 2003 -- Criminal case is effectively dismissed after a judge finds that a detective gave misleading information to the grand jury that indicted Lovelace.
May 30, 2003 -- Prosecutors refile the criminal charges. It is later learned that the new grand jury refused to indict.
Aug. 25, 2003 --Nelson's husband, John "Colby" Nelson, files suit against the city and Lovelace.
Oct. 22, 2003 -- Downing and Chandler inform the court they have reached a settlement of $1.4 million.
Nov. 25, 2003 -- Chandler pays $1.94 million to settle suit with Nelson. An insurance company covers the rest of the undisclosed settlement amount.
Dec. 9, 2003 -- Preliminary hearing begins.
Dec. 11, 2003 -- Judge James Keppel rules there is enough evidence against Lovelace to warrant a trial.
June 8, 2004 -- Trial begins.
July 9, 2004 -- A jury returns verdicts of innocent on the counts of second-degree murder, manslaughter and endangerment.
