DETROIT (AP) - The Latest on the murder trial of a former Michigan state trooper whose use of a Taser preceded the death of a Detroit teenager (all times local):
11:40 a.m.
A prosecutor has summed up evidence in a murder trial against a former Michigan state trooper, telling jurors it defied “common sense” for a Detroit boy to be shot with a Taser while he was joyriding on an all-terrain vehicle.
Fifteen-year-old Damon (Da-MAHN’) Grimes crashed the ATV and died seconds after he was struck by Mark Bessner’s Taser in 2017.
Jurors heard closing arguments Monday after three days of testimony. Bessner is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.
Bessner last week told the jury that he feared for his life and believed Grimes was reaching for a gun. The boy wasn’t armed.
Prosecutor Matthew Penney says using the Taser was unreasonable. Defense attorney Richard Convertino says Bessner had to make a split-second decision.
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12:02 a.m.
Jurors will hear closing arguments in the murder trial of a former Michigan state trooper who shot a 15-year-old Detroit boy with his Taser moments before the teen crashed an all-terrain vehicle and died.
Mark Bessner and another trooper were pursuing Damon (Da-MAHN’) Grimes on a Detroit street in August 2017. Bessner told jurors last week that he believed the teen had a gun, although he admitted that he didn’t report that suspicion after the crash. Grimes wasn’t armed.
Closing arguments are set for Monday. Bessner is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. He quit the state police job after the incident.
Bessner calls the boy’s death a “terrible tragedy.” He says he “absolutely” believed Grimes was armed. He says he feared he might be ambushed.
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