Maryland man goes on trial for shooting death of Georgetown police officer

Jury selection has been completed for the murder trial of a Cumberland, Maryland man charged with the September 2009 shooting death of Georgetown police officer Chad Spicer. 

 

Opening statements in the trial of Derrick Powell are scheduled for Thursday morning in Sussex County.  Spicer was shot in the face when he and other officers responded to reports of shots being fired at a fast-food restaurant.  The officers had pulled over a vehicle matching a description of one involved in the earlier shooting.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty in the case.  Powell’s defense team unsuccessfully sought to have the trial moved out of Sussex County, based on pre-trial publicity about the case.

Jury selection took more than two weeks to complete.

A man who was driving the vehicle with Powell pleaded guilty a year ago, and is expected to testify against Powell.  Officer Spicer’s partner was struck in the neck by a bullet fragment.

A third man in the car at the time was questioned by authorities and released.