Jury selection is scheduled to begin Wednesday in the trial of former Hartford police detective Robert Lawlor, who is accused of shooting and killing a teen in 2005.
The veteran officer is charged with manslaughter and assault in the death of Jayshon Bryant, 18, during an alleged confrontation.
Lawlor was working with an agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when he said he saw Bryant get into a friend's car with a gun, the Hartford Courant reports, citing court papers. The officers approached the car, and when the vehicle began moving, Lawlor fired five shots.
Bryant was killed. The driver, Brandon Henry, was shot once in the chest, according to news reports at the time. Right after the shooting, Lawlor's lawyer said his client used "reasonable and necessary force."
Lawlor claims he saw Bryant reach for what he thought was a gun, but no weapon was ever found in Bryant's car.
Bryant's grandmother, Betty Bryant, of Hartford, told the Courant that her family is relieved that the trial is starting.
"We feel like we've been waiting a long time for this," she said.
Once a jury is seated, the trial is expected to last four to six weeks.
