Murder trial begins for officer who shot mentally ill woman

NEW YORK – Opening statements have begun in the trial of a New York police sergeant charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 66-year-old emotionally disturbed woman.

Sgt. Hugh Barry has pleaded not guilty in last year’s death of Deborah Danner, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was brandishing a bat when the eight-year veteran shot her.

Officers had been called to Danner’s home several times before. Her shooting sparked protests and a rebuke from the Democratic mayor.

Prosecutors on Tuesday said Barry did not use his police training. They say he failed to listen to Danner and “failed to grasp the actions of a mentally ill woman.”

A defence attorney says Barry made a split-second decision to protect himself when Danner grabbed the bat.