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Testimony resumes in Detroit cop’s trial for deadly raid

Officer insists he accidentally pulled the trigger during the fatal raid when a witness grabbed his gun

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Detroit Police Officer Joseph Weekley comes back into the courtroom during the first day of testimony at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014.

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By Ed White
Associated Press

DETROIT — A key witness whose stormy remarks temporarily halted the trial of a Detroit police officer returned for more testimony Tuesday, speaking slowly and softly about a chaotic raid that killed her 7-year-old granddaughter while the girl slept on a couch.

Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway warned Mertilla Jones not to “act out.” Clutching a tissue in her left hand, she was extremely calm, even when a defense lawyer suggested her screams and tears last week were intentional.

“Your demeanor’s a lot different,” said Steve Fishman, attorney for Officer Joseph Weekley, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Jones repeated her claim that Weekley intentionally killed Aiyana Stanley-Jones in 2010 during a midnight search for a murder suspect. Prosecutors won’t go that far, but they accuse the officer of recklessly handling his gun while leading an elite police unit into the home.

Jones said she was at one end of a couch while Aiyana was sleeping at the other when police threw a stun grenade through a window and stormed through the door.

“As soon as the door opened, I heard a shot go off,” Jones said. “I was asking the police, ‘Don’t come in like that. Let me get my grandbaby off my couch.’ Before I could get anything out of my mouth, Aiyana was shot.”

She denied interfering with Weekley — a key point in the case. Weekley insists his gun went off when the grandmother grabbed it, although other officers are expected to testify that they saw no struggle.

The trial was stopped last Wednesday when Jones couldn’t control her emotions. She sobbed, yelled and pointedly told Weekley, “You killed my grandbaby.”

Fishman asked for a mistrial Monday, saying Jones had acted like a “fool” and spoiled Weekley’s right to a fair trial. Jurors, however, said they still could be fair, and the judge declined to end the trial.

“You did that on purpose didn’t you?” Fishman asked Jones during cross-examination Tuesday.

“No,” she softly replied.

Weekley’s first trial ended without a verdict last year.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press

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