Prosecutors allege Emmanuel Lopes, during a struggle, took Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna’s gun and shot him eight times in the chest and head. He’s then accused of shooting 77-year-old Vera Adams, who was nearby in her home’s sunroom.
The case of a man accused of killing a police officer and a 77-year-old bystander in Weymouth, Massachusetts, back in 2018 returns to the courtroom.
After a previous mistrial, the new trial of Emmanuel Lopes is set to begin Wednesday.
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The mistrial happened less than a year ago. Now both Lopes and prosecutors are returning to make their cases again. However, this time, to a new jury that was chosen out of the Bristol Superior Court in Taunton.
After nearly three weeks of testimony and roughly five days of deliberation, a 12-person jury last summer could not come to an agreement on the fate of Lopes — who's accused of attacking 42-year-old Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna in July 2018 with a rock while being arrested for driving erratically and vandalizing a home.
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Prosecutors allege Lopes, during a struggle, took Chesna's gun and shot him eight times in the chest and head. He's then accused of shooting 77-year-old Vera Adams, who was nearby in her home's sunroom.
"First and most basically, Mr. Lopes Presumes to be innocent," said the judge.
NBC10 Boston was told that not much other than opening arguments would happen Wednesday. However, this jury will visit the scene of the alleged crimes, just like the jury did in the first trial.
The judge didn't specify when but said that could happen as early as Thursday.
If found guilty, Lopes faces life in prison, though his lawyer argued during the initial trial that he has a history of mental illness. If he's found not guilty by reason of insanity, he could be sent to a mental health facility.
