Jurors began deliberating Saturday morning in the trial of ex-Little Rock police officer Joshua Hastings.
Attorneys spent the morning presenting closing arguments on the charges raised against the Benton man, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Hastings was fired from the force and charged on suspicion of manslaughter and negligent homicide after the Aug. 12, 2012, shooting that killed 15-year-old Bobby Moore III.
The 27-year-old testified during the trial before Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen that the car driven by the 15-year-old was coming directly at him and he feared he was about to be run over when he fired three times. Two of the bullets struck Moore, including one that hit the side of his head and killed him instantly.
On Saturday, an attorney representing the state said in a 13-minute closing argument that Hastings' decision to fire three times was evidence of his guilt.
"What that tells you, ladies and gentlemen, is all he had to do is move and we wouldn't be here," attorney Emily Abbott said.
In his 46-minute closing argument, the lawyer representing Hastings asked the 12-person jury to ignore the element of emotion in deciding the accused officer's fate.
"It doesn't matter what (Moore) was doing that night," said attorney Bill James, representing the accused officer. "It doesn't matter if he was wrongfully — if his death came that way. You're still gonna feel bad."
James said the officer was doing his job by firing at the vehicle, which the defense claimed was driving toward the officer. He invoked the argument of a state prosecutor, John Johnson, in presenting his closing.
"Mr. Johnson asked officer Hastings, 'What'd you accomplish?'" he said, referring to the shooting. "Well, Josh didn't want to say it, but he's alive."
In his nearly 30-minute. rebuttal, Johnson urged the jurors not to be swayed by their respect for Hastings' former profession in their deliberation.
"They want you to completely take the word of the police officer," Johnson said. "'Let's take what the cop said, forget what everyone else said and ignore the evidence.
"If we can't hold the police accountable when they break the law the same way we hold everyone else accountable then where is the faith in the police going to be?"
Jurors were expected to deliberate into the afternoon.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.