Alleged cop killer's fate now in the hands of an Orleans Parish jury

Bridges is accused of fatally shooting New Orleans Officer Marcus McNeil in 2017.

Bridges is accused of fatally shooting New Orleans Officer Marcus McNeil in 2017.

HAPPENING NOW, THE FATE OF AN ALLEGED COP KILLER IS IN THE HANDS OF AN ORLEANS PARISH JURY. THIS FOLLOWS MORE THAN A WEEK OF EMOTIONAL TESTIMONY, EVEN VIDEO EVIDENCE. YEAH, SHE’S HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS CASE FOR US SINCE IT STARTED. SHE JOINS US LIVE OUTSIDE CRIMINAL COURT WITH WHERE STAND RIGHT NOW, MORGAN. WE KNOW THE JURY STILL OUT. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT, TRAVIS. AND LOOK, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS CASE IS GOING TO COME DOWN TO INTENT. THAT IS WHY BOTH THE D.A. AND DEFENSE ATTORNEYS IN THEIR CLOSING ASKED THE JURY THIS, DID IT, DARREN BRIDGES, TO AS TO KILL OFFICER MARCUS MCNEILL MCNEILL IN AN IMPASSIONED SPEECH TO JURORS, ATTORNEY JASON WILLIAMS SHOUTED THAT SHOT AS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWED DARREN BRIDGES FIRE A THIRD AND FINAL TIME AT NOPD OFFICER MARCUS MCNEILL. HE SAYS ENTIRE CASE RESTS ON THAT MOMENT WHEN HE ARGUES SHOWS INTENT BECAUSE MCNEILL WAS ALREADY ON THE GROUND FACE DOWN. NOW, ULTIMATELY, THE QUESTION OF WHY DARREN BRIDGES DID WHAT HE DID WILL BE FOR JURORS TO DEBATE BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO CONVICT HIM OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER OR A LESSER CHARGE. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY HE COULD GET A VERDICT IF THE JURY SAW FIT IN THIS CASE, THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE MANDATORY LIFE IN THIS FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS THAT MIGHT THE DEFENSE’S STRATEGY. ATTORNEYS FOR BRIDGES CHOSE TO FOCUS ON WHAT JURORS NOT SEE ON CAMERAS RECORDING THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 13TH, 2017. SAYING THEIR CLIENT FEARED FOR HIS LIFE AND WAS THE VICTIM OF UNLAWFUL ARREST, GIVING HIM THE RIGHT TO DEFEND HIMSELF. WHAT THE JURY THINKS REMAINS TO BE SEEN. PEOPLE WILL GET HEATED. THEY WILL START TO SORT OF ARGUE THEIR PERSPECTIVES. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE THERE TALKING ABOUT DELIBERATING A PENALTY THAT INVOLVES A LIFE SENTENCE. EXPECT THERE TO BE THOROUGH CONVERSATION. SO DID BRIEFLY WITH DISTRICT ATTORNEY JASON WILLIAMS WHEN HE WALKED OUT AS THE JURY WAS IN LUNCH EARLIER, I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT PUBLICLY AT THIS TIME. HE SAID RIGHT NOW, BUT HE SAID THAT COULD DEFINITELY CHANGE. THERE IS A VERDICT. SO WE WILL OF COURSE KEEP YOU POSTED. REPORTING LI

Alleged cop killer's fate now in the hands of an Orleans Parish jury

Bridges is accused of fatally shooting New Orleans Officer Marcus McNeil in 2017.

The trial of a man accused of killing a New Orleans police officer ended after over a week of testimony.A jury was handed the case and began deliberations in the first-degree murder trial 0f Darren Bridges on Tuesday afternoon.Bridges is charged with fatally shooting New Orleans police Officer Marcus McNeil in October of 2017.If convicted of first-degree murder, Bridges would face a mandatory life sentence. However, he could be found guilty of a lesser charge like manslaughter or negligent homicide, which both carry a range of possible sentences. During closing arguments, District Attorney Jason Williams, who has chosen to prosecute the case himself, told jurors that Bridges "executed" McNeil, who was known by the nickname "Milk Dud."Jurors were shown body camera footage and video from surveillance cameras, which captured the deadly shooting. Williams said the third and final shot fired by Bridges indicated his intent to murder McNeil because, in the video, the officer is seen lying facedown on the ground.Meantime, defense attorneys asked jurors to carefully consider the evidence and what it shows about the actions of the NOPD that night. They also argued that cameras did not capture everything that happened on Oct. 13, 2017.The two sides also discussed the difference between first-degree murder and justifiable homicide.WDSU spoke with former prosecutor and legal analyst Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue about how jury deliberations typically go."Real personalities start to come out once the deliberations begin. They have not had the opportunity to discuss the case yet. They don’t begin to discuss the actual facts of the case until deliberations," Cannizzaro Rodrigue said. "This is sort of where the rubber meets the road in terms of deliberation. People will get heated. They will start to argue their perspectives, and you know, they’re talking about deliberating a penalty that involves a life sentence. I expect those conversations to be thorough."

The trial of a man accused of killing a New Orleans police officer ended after over a week of testimony.

A jury was handed the case and began deliberations in the first-degree murder trial 0f Darren Bridges on Tuesday afternoon.

Bridges is charged with fatally shooting New Orleans police Officer Marcus McNeil in October of 2017.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Bridges would face a mandatory life sentence. However, he could be found guilty of a lesser charge like manslaughter or negligent homicide, which both carry a range of possible sentences.

During closing arguments, District Attorney Jason Williams, who has chosen to prosecute the case himself, told jurors that Bridges "executed" McNeil, who was known by the nickname "Milk Dud."

Jurors were shown body camera footage and video from surveillance cameras, which captured the deadly shooting.

Williams said the third and final shot fired by Bridges indicated his intent to murder McNeil because, in the video, the officer is seen lying facedown on the ground.

Meantime, defense attorneys asked jurors to carefully consider the evidence and what it shows about the actions of the NOPD that night. They also argued that cameras did not capture everything that happened on Oct. 13, 2017.

The two sides also discussed the difference between first-degree murder and justifiable homicide.

WDSU spoke with former prosecutor and legal analyst Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue about how jury deliberations typically go.

"Real personalities start to come out once the deliberations begin. They have not had the opportunity to discuss the case yet. They don’t begin to discuss the actual facts of the case until deliberations," Cannizzaro Rodrigue said. "This is sort of where the rubber meets the road in terms of deliberation. People will get heated. They will start to argue their perspectives, and you know, they’re talking about deliberating a penalty that involves a life sentence. I expect those conversations to be thorough."

Alleged cop killer's fate now in the hands of an Orleans Parish jury

Bridges is accused of fatally shooting New Orleans Officer Marcus McNeil in 2017.

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