SEATTLE – It's now up to the jury to decide if the man convicted of killing a Seattle police officer in 2009 should be sentenced to death.
KIRO-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1gOKjIE ) that closing arguments in the penalty phase of Christopher Monfort's trial ended Wednesday afternoon.
A jury convicted him last month of killing Officer Timothy Brenton. They also found him guilty of attempted murder for shooting Brenton's partner, Brit Kelly.
During closing arguments, the prosecutor said Monfort ambushed the officers and called it a "cold-blooded assassination."
At one point, Monfort interrupted, saying, "Police keep shooting our people."
Monfort's lawyer says his life should be spared because of his mental illness and tough childhood.
If the jury can't agree, Monfort will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
___
Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
