Jury ready to hear opening statements in 2nd trial of Detroit officer who killed girl in raid
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this June 13, 2013 file photo Detroit Police Officer Joseph Weekley testifies during his first trial in Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit, Mich. Weekley is charged in a second trial with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Aiyana Stanley-Jones who was shot during a frantic search for a murder suspect in 2010. A jury in Weekley's first trial couldn't reach a verdict. (AP Photo/The Detroit News, David Coates, File) (The Associated Press)
A jury is set to hear opening statements in the second trial of a Detroit police officer who fatally shot a 7-year-old girl during a frantic search for a murder suspect.
Lawyers and Wayne County Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway picked the jury Wednesday. Jurors were asked about race and the recent shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old by a white officer in Ferguson, Missouri.
Officer Joseph Weekley is white, and Aiyana Stanley-Jones was black. Jurors agree that race and the Ferguson shooting are irrelevant in the Detroit trial.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter. He's accused of handling his gun recklessly during a 2010 raid at a Detroit home.
It's the second trial for Weekley, a member of an elite police unit. A jury last year couldn't reach a verdict.