PARAGOULD, Ark. (AP) - The prosecution and defense in the capital murder trial of a man charged with killing an Arkansas police officer have rested and are moving on to closing arguments.
The Jonesboro Sun reports that closings were starting Thursday afternoon in the trial of 38-year-old Jerry Lard.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Lard, who's accused of killing Trumann police officer Jonathan Schmidt during a traffic stop last year.
Lard's lawyers don't dispute that he killed Schmidt, but they say he suffers from a mental disease or defect. Doctors testified this week that they saw evidence of brain damage when they examined Lard after the shooting. They said someone with brain damage isn't able to make deliberate decisions.
Prosecutors say Lard knew what he was doing when he shot Schmidt.
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