DETROIT (AP) — 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.
Former Michigan State Police trooper Mark Bessner testifies, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit. Bessner whose use of a Taser preceded the death of a 15-year-old Detroit boy says he “absolutely” believed the teen was armed and was “shocked” to learn there was no gun. . (John T. Greilick/Detroit News via AP)
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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