NEW ORLEANS — Witness testimonies continued today in the trial of a man accused of shooting and killing an NOPD officer in the French Quarter in 2020.
The jury will soon decide whether or not 45-year-old Donnell Hassell is guilty of killing former NOPD Officer Trevor Abney.
On Thursday, jurors watched security footage from the day Abney was shot, starting with the defendant on the run and ending with his apprehension.
St. Tammany Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape showed jurors photos of Abney’s autopsy, and an analyst confirmed the DNA on the gun found at the crime scene matched Hassell’s.
In 2020, Hassell allegedly ambushed an NOPD patrol car from the back of a pedicab, shooting Officer Abney in the head.
Abney died last October from complications related to the shooting.
During his two-year battle with his injuries, the late officer’s wife Randi Abney says her husband prepared her for this moment.
“He was a really good man, and he was a really good officer, and he was really sick towards the end of his life,” Randi Abney said. “He was still an amazing husband and amazing father and an outstanding cop, so I’m still proud of him.”
The defense and prosecution rested their cases and closing arguments are expected to begin on Friday.
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