Death sentence in killing of Del. police officer

    A Maryland man has been sentenced to death in the 2009 shooting of a Georgetown police officer.

    A Sussex County judge sentenced Derrick Powell of Cumberland, Md., at a hearing this morning. Powell could have received life in prison without the possibility of parole for the killing of patrolman Chad Spicer, but the jury that convicted him recommended by a 7-5 vote that he be executed. And today a judge agreed with the recommendation.

    Powell’s attorneys filed a motion to block the death penalty, citing the jury’s narrow split and the fact that he was convicted on only one of two counts of first-degree murder.

    WHYY’s Mark Fowser was in Georgetown for the ruling, and we’ll have his report for you later today.

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    In the mean time, Delaware Online has an informative timeline slideshow of the events–check it out if only for its very ‘new media’ approach to reporting sequential news.

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