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Man Cleared In NYC Theater District Stabbing

NEW YORK (AP) -- A grand jury has exonerated a man in a fatal stabbing outside a bar in Manhattan's theater district, saying he acted in self defense.

A lawyer for Atdhe Gashi said he was forced to fight back when a group of men attacked him without provocation.
Gashi was being beaten by several people when he pulled out a small knife he used to open packages at work and slashed at 25-year-old Elliott Paulino.

The fight was captured on security cameras.

Gashi sobbed in a Manhattan courthouse after the grand jury decided he shouldn't face charges. His lawyer, Robert Brown, said his client was a computer science student who had never been in trouble before.

(Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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