On Wednesday, a jury found Michigan State trooper Mark Bessner guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the death of Detroit teen Damon Grimes.
Bessner shot Grimes with the taser from the passenger side of his police vehicle after Grimes slowed down on the all-terrain vehicle in August 2017.
And that caused him to flip and crash.
Both vehicles were moving when Grimes was shot.
Grimes died when he was shot with the taser and crashed.
Officer Bessner, who had a documented history of misconduct allegations involving his use of a Taser, fired the weapon from the passenger seat of the patrol car as they chased Grimes, according to NBCNews.
After the incident, several officers turn off their cameras.
A female officer can be seen turning hers on, the video above shows.
She suggests that they should escort the Grimes’s family to the hospital.
A male officer bluntly says, ‘no,’ they only do that for officers.
State police officials determined his conduct warranted criminal charges against Bessner.
“There can be no question that Mark Bessner knew that (he) was going to cause some serious harm to Damon Grimes,” Matthew Penney, assistant prosecutor, told jurors.
Initially, Bessner was charged with second-degree murder, but the jury decided on a lesser charge after deliberating for a day.
” Today, former trooper Mark Bessner was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Damon Grimes of Detroit. The Michigan State Police appreciates the careful deliberation of the men and women of the jury and we are grateful to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for their dedication to justice. We send our sincere condolences to the family, friends and supporters of Damon Grimes,” Michigan State Police said in a written statement.
Officer Bessner was taken into custody immediately after the verdict.
He sentencing date is May 2; he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Watch a detailed investigative video by Detroit Free Press above.
