2nd trial starts for ex-Michigan trooper in teen's ATV death
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Jurors heard opening statements Wednesday in the second trial of a former Michigan state trooper who is blamed for the death of a Detroit teen on an all-terrain vehicle.
Mark Bessner's first trial last fall ended without a verdict. He's charged with second-degree murder in the death of 15-year-old Damon Grimes in 2017.
Bessner shot Grimes with a Taser from a moving patrol car as he and his partner pursued the boy at high speed. Grimes crashed the ATV and died.
In his last trial Bessner said he believed Grimes was armed, and wasn't sure if Grimes may had been taunting them or trying to lure them into a trap. After the crash it was determined the teen had no weapon.
Bessner later quit the state police. It's not known if he'll take the stand again in the new trial.
The incident caused the state police to change its policy and stop high-speed chases for routine traffic offenses in Detroit.