Closing arguments today in police officer snow plow murder trial

TORONTO – Closing arguments are scheduled for today in the trial of a man who killed a Toronto police officer with a snow plow.

Richard Kachkar, 44, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and his lawyers are urging the jury to find him not criminally responsible — a finding that means he had a mental disorder and couldn’t appreciate what he was doing.

The judge has told the jury that there is “no doubt” Kachkar was driving the stolen plow on Jan. 12, 2011, when it hit and killed Sgt. Ryan Russell, 35, but what is at issue is Kachkar’s mental state.

Three psychiatrists testified that they believe Kachkar was psychotic at the time he killed Russell.

The Crown is trying to prove Kachkar meant to kill Russell and should be found guilty of first-degree murder.

Kachkar’s trial has heard that as he drove the stolen snow plow wildly around the streets of Toronto that morning for two hours he was yelling about the Taliban, Chinese technology and microchips in his body.