PITTSBURGH — Jury selection began Monday in the trial of a man accused of killing McKeesport police officer Sean Sluganski, nearly three years after the fatal shooting and multiple delays.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 1 police officer killed, another injured in McKeesport shooting
Attorneys questioned dozens of potential jurors at the Allegheny County Courthouse, working to identify any potential biases that could affect their ability to serve on the jury.
Police say Jonathan Morris opened fire on Sluganski and his partner, Officer Chuck Thomas, in February 2023.
Sluganski was killed, and Thomas was wounded but survived.
The officers had responded to Morris’ home after his mother called 911, reporting that her son was experiencing a severe PTSD episode.
The case has been delayed by multiple hearings and changes in legal representation. Jury selection is expected to continue, with opening statements scheduled for next Monday morning.
The trial is not the first time a man accused of killing a police officer has faced a jury in Allegheny County, although such cases are relatively rare.
In 2011, a jury found Richard Poplawski guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the shootings of three Pittsburgh police officers who responded to a domestic incident at his home. Poplawski was sentenced to death.
In 2007, Leslie Mollett stood trial for the killing of Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Joseph Pokorny. Mollett was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Opening statements in Morris’ trial are expected to begin next Monday. The trial is expected to last several days.
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