GETTYSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
The past week has been one full of emotion in Adams County, with
family members of Officer David Grove having to relive details of his
November 2010 murder at trial.
During closing arguments Monday,
Christopher Johnson's defense lawyers told the jury that the case is "a
whole lot about interpretation and inferences."
They claim that
although Johnson did commit a crime on the night of November 11, 2010,
he was drunk and unable to form the intent to kill, and
could not see clearly enough to know exactly where he was shooting.
"Nobody
is standing here saying Christopher Johnson did not commit a crime,"
they told the jury. "Nobody is standing here saying he was right."
The
prosecution closed the case with a strong argument that Christopher
Johnson knew exactly what he was doing. They allege Johnson, a convicted felon not permitted to have a gun, killed Grove to
avoid going back to jail for illegally shooting a deer.
"When you take a deadly weapon like a firearm,
like a .45-caliber pistol, and you point it at a vital part of the body,
that is an intent to kill," District Attorney Shawn Wagner told the
jury.
"We can't bring Officer Grove back," Wagner said. "What I am
going to ask you to do is to look at the evidence, do justice. Justice
in this case is a verdict, and that verdict must be first-degree
murder."
If convicted of first-degree murder, Johnson would face
the death penalty. The jury will return to the Adams County Courthouse
Tuesday morning to begin deliberations.
