Jury Selection Begins For Cop Accused Of Killing 7-Year-Old During Raid
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A member of an elite Detroit police unit is set to stand trial again for killing a 7-year-old girl during a 2010 raid on her house that was captured on video by a reality TV crew.
Nobody alleges that Officer Joseph Weekley intended to kill Aiyana Stanley-Jones, who had been sleeping on a couch near the door when officers burst through around midnight in search of a murder suspect.
But prosecutors charged him with involuntary manslaughter because they believe he handled his submachine gun recklessly, causing the girl's death.
Prosecutors pursued the second trial for Officer Joseph Weekley, whose first trial ended without a unanimous verdict last year.
There is no dispute Weekley's gun went off, killing the 7-year-old while she slept on a couch in 2010 — but he says it was an accident.
Weekley maintains he accidentally pulled the trigger when Aiyana's grandmother, Mertilla Jones, grabbed his submachine gun after the team threw a "flash bang" grenade and entered the home. The grandmother denies she touched the gun, and another officer testified that there was no struggle over the weapon.
Jury selection starts Monday in Wayne County court, 15 months after Weekley's first trial ended with a hung jury.
TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
