'We admit it' Trial underway for man charged for killing St. Louis City Police Officer in 2020

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) --A two-week murder trial began in the Civil Courts building Monday with opening statements and witnesses testimony about Aug. 29 2020, the day three people were shot including two St. Louis City Police Officers.

Officers Tamarris Bohannon and Arlando Bailey were wounded in the 3700 block of Hartford Street. The officers had been dispatched to reports of a shooting in the area.

They were searching for a victim when Thomas Kinworthy allegedly opened fire on them, striking Officer Bohannon in the head and Officer Bailey in the leg. Police say Kinworthy then forced two residents out of their home and barricaded himself inside.

"Everything was so calm before Thomas Kinworthy, a vicious tornado, arrived on the block," said Assistant Circuit Attorney Tanja Engelhardt while pointing towards the defendant in her opening statement. Engelhardt repeatedly ensured the jury that police were not aiming to kill Kinworthy after Bohannon and Bailey had been shot but to just take him into custody.

"I'm going to tell you something that the defense doesn't normally say in an opening statement," said Attorney Anne Legmosky for Thomas Kinworthy. "We admit it. We admit that Tommy did the things that night. What happened that night is simply not in dispute. What we are here for is why it happened."

The defense concluded her remarks by asking the jury to return a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity and committing Kinworthy to the Department of Mental Health to get treatment.