DETROIT (WWJ) - Jury selection is continuing in the second trial of a former Michigan State Police trooper accused of using a Taser on a young boy who was riding an ATV, causing him to crash and die.
Mark Bessner faced charges last year, but a judge declared a mistrial after the jury couldn't come to a decision. He's charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of 15-year-old Damon Grimes, who crashed an all-terrain vehicle on a Detroit street in August 2017.
Bessner shot Grimes from the passenger seat of a moving patrol car as he and his partner pursued the boy at high speed. Bessner says he believed Grimes was armed, but the teen had no weapon.
Describing it as a "deadly-force situation," Bessner said Grimes was driving toward him and his partner in an aggressive manner and appeared to "taunting" them. Bessner said he deployed the Taser when he saw Grimes reach for his waistband. Several witnesses, however, testified that they never saw Grimes' hands leave the ATV's handlebars, according to reports.
"It was a split second," Bessner told the court. "I didn't have time to make a decision."
Grimes crashed the ATV and died after he was struck by Bessner's Taser.
Prosecutors say Bessner's use of the Taser was unreasonable, and state police officials described his actions as criminal. He was suspended, then resigned from the police force following Grimes' death.
Bessner's first trial ended without a unanimous verdict on Oct. 31. His bond of $1 million and 24-hour GPS tether were continued. He faces possible life in prison if convicted as charged.
Meantime, a $50 million civil lawsuit by the Grimes family is pending against Bessner, accusing him of excessive force.
