DETROIT (AP) β A member of an elite Detroit police unit is set to stand trial again for killing a 7-year-old girl during a 2010 raid on her house that was captured on video by a reality TV crew.
Nobody alleges that Officer Joseph Weekley intended to kill Aiyana Stanley-Jones, who had been sleeping on a couch near the door when officers burst through around midnight in search of a murder suspect. But prosecutors charged him with involuntary manslaughter because they believe he handled his submachine gun recklessly, causing the girl’s death.
Jury selection starts Monday in Wayne County court, 15 months after Weekley’s first trial ended with a hung jury.
Weekley says he accidentally pulled the trigger when Aiyana’s grandmother grabbed his gun. She denies interfering in any way.
