Jury choice began Wednesday in the trial of NYPD Officer Peter Liang,a rookie policeman who was patrolling a Brooklyn housing project in November 2014 when he fired a shot into a darkened stairwell, striking and killing 29-year-old Akai Gurley. Gurley was unarmed.
Instead of immediately helping Gurley, and Officer Liang allegedly argued with his partner approximately whether to call their boss or a union delegate. Attorney Paul Martin,who specializes in criminal defense, said he'll believe to account for that gap in time."This officer's going to believe to come forward and basically fall on the sword and account for why he didn't call [assist], or " Martin said. Still,Martin said prosecutors are likely to believe an uphill battle proving Liang acted recklessly.
Liang has pleaded not guilty. He is expected to take the witness stand in his defense.In this interview, WNYC's Jami Floyd talks with Martin approximately the case and the burden of proof for prosecutors.
Source: wnyc.org