[Update 8:32 p.m. Eastern: Jurors will return Thursday to resume deliberations. No verdict was reached today]
Jury deliberations will enter a second day today in the manslaughter trial of Officer Peter Liang in the death of Akai Gurley.
Court observers say a verdict is expected by the end of the week.
The New York Times reports that during closing arguments Monday, the prosecution alleged Liang did not accidentally shoot Liang, but intentionally shot him. The shot missed, but the bullet ricochet off the concrete wall, fatally striking Gurley in November 2014 in the darkened stairwell of a New York public housing project.
The defense in its closing argument portrayed the rookie officer as a novice who’s trained to recognize a darkened stairwell in which he was patrolling as a dangerous situation.
“Unfortunately he got startled, and we ended up here,” said Robert Brown.
Liang faces reckless manslaughter, assault and official misconduct.
A second misconduct charge was dismissed by the Judge Danny Chun prior to deliberations.
You can read about what the prosecution had to prove to obtain a guilty verdict for manslaughter in the New York Times.
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