Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher was found not guilty in a military trial on charges that he illegally stabbed and murdered an ISIS terrorist that had been already captured.

The verdict was reached by a jury of five Marines and two sailors.

Gallagher was accused of stabbing and killing a teenage ISIS soldier in 2017 that had been captured by U.S. forces.

But in a shocking twist, a medic who was a witness to the stabbing admitted in his testimony that he suffocated the ISIS soldier after Gallagher stabbed him and walked away.

Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Corey Scott said that he asphyxiated the teen because he had seen Iraqi soldiers torture and murder ISIS captives who had been delivered to their custody from U.S. forces.

"I knew he was going to die anyway," said Scott. "I wanted to save him from waking up to what had happened next."

Gallagher was accused by several other Navy SEALs, who said they witnessed other acts of brutality that were not legal by the rules of combat.

His attorney argued that Gallagher had been falsely accused by disgruntled subordinates who disapproved of his leadership style.

He was found guilty of a minor charge of posing with a dead body, but was sentenced to time served.

President Donald Trump indicated that he was considering pardoning Gallagher in May.

Here's a news video from San Diego: