NEW ORLEANS — A jury has been selected for the man accused of shooting and killing an NOPD officer in the French Quarter.
In 2020, 45-year-old Donnell Hassell allegedly ambushed an NOPD patrol car from the back of a pedicab, shooting Officer Trevor Abney in the head.
Key witnesses testified on Wednesday, including Officer Abney’s partner who was in the car with him when he was shot.
Officer Brooke Duncan described the moment rounds shattered the windshield of their patrol car, saying he remembers hearing his partner scream, and then abruptly stop.
Jurors then watched emotional footage of the moments after the incident. Abney’s family covered their ears in the front row of the courtroom, trying to block out his screams.
During opening statements, Defense Attorney Stephen Hebert told jurors Hassell was delirious after the incident.
When Hassell’s pedicab driver testified, he said the defendant’s behavior was calm in the moments leading up to the ambush.
Officer Abney battled his injuries for around two and a half years before dying from complications last October.
District Attorney Jason Williams says he hopes the officer’s family gets the closure they need by the end of the week.
“You know, this has been just an unbelievable nightmare, and I think they are thankful that we're here, but it's not over for them,” Orleans Parish District Attorney said. “This will never be over for them. A lot of times people think there that there is some relief that can come, but short of bringing back the loved one, it's impossible to find that amount of closure, but I think we can get some.”
Attorneys expect a verdict by this Friday.
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