Jury Deliberations Begin in Brian Fitch Trial

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — Jury deliberations are underway in the murder trial of a man accused of killing a Mendota Heights police officer last summer.

Brian Fitch Sr. is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Officer Scott Patrick during a routine traffic stop on July 30. Fitch also is accused of trying to kill police during a shootout when he was arrested in St. Paul later that day.

During closing arguments Monday, prosecutor Phil Prokopowicz told jurors that the totality of the evidence should lead jurors to reach a "reasonable and rational conclusion" that Fitch killed Patrick.

The St. Cloud Times reports Fitch's attorney attacked eyewitness descriptions of the killer, the timeline of events surrounding the shooting of Patrick and the gun evidence.

The jury will be sequestered during deliberations.