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October 9, 2007

Man found guilty of killing Dallas officer from R.I.

A jury today found a man guilty of capital murder in the 2005 fatal shooting of Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson, a 28-year-old former Rhode Islander.

Juan Lizcano was convicted in the death of Jackson, and the prosecution is now expected to seek the death penalty. Proceedings in the punishment phase were under way this afternoon.

Officer Jackson was killed in November 2005 while responding to a domestic violence call at the home of Lizcano's former girlfriend who called 911 twice to report he threatened her with a gun.

Defense attorneys had argued Lizcano was not guilty because the officer's death was not capital murder.

"This is in no way a capital murder," said defense attorney Brook Busbee. "He's not guilty of capital murder because he couldn't see the officer."

But prosecutor Josh Healy called Officer Jackson's slaying "an assassin-style killing" and told jurors there was no doubt Lizcano was guilty of capital murder.

Prosecutors said that the yard where Officer Jackson was killed was well lit.

Prosecutor Patrick Kirlin told jurors that "the credible evidence cries out for" a guilty of capital murder verdict.

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 3:02 PM | Permalink

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