Pennsylvania

Attorney Seeks to Bar Release of Police Shooting Video

The attorney for a central Pennsylvania police officer charged with criminal homicide in the shooting death of a motorist following a traffic stop is trying to prevent the release of video from a camera mounted on a stun gun.

Authorities in Dauphin County allege that Hummelstown police officer Lisa Mearkle shot 59-year-old David Kassick twice on Feb. 2 in the back as he lay face-down. District Attorney Edward Marisco Jr. cited the video as the strongest evidence in the case.

PennLive.com reports that defense attorney Brian Perry says releasing the video would be "sensational and inflammatory" and could taint the jury pool, and he wants the court to bar prosecutors from releasing it. He says his client acted in self-defense, thinking that Kassick was reaching for a gun.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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