Grimes Guilty In Officer Slaying

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore jury on Friday found a man guilty in the January 2007 slaying of an off-duty city police officer.

Watch: David Collins Reports

Brandon Grimes, 23, was found guilty of first-degree murder and the use of a handgun in a crime of violence in the slaying of Officer Troy Chesley Sr. Sentencing is set for Oct. 21.

11 News reporter David Collins said Grimes had no obvious reaction to the verdict. Grimes looked around the room, where people were sobbing in the moments before the verdict was read.

The jury deliberated for about three hours spanning Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

The case had been postponed nine times before the trial started this week.

In closing arguments, the state pushed its point that Grimes killed Chesley with two bullets in a premeditated act, citing blood evidence, bullet casings found at the scene and the police issued bullet found inside Grimes' body.

Prosecutors seized on the fact that Chelsey shot Grimes in the calf, marking him as the killer.

"I think it sends a strong message … that we do prosecute crime -- a serous crime like this -- and we do get guilty verdicts," said Joe Sviatko of the city state's attorney's office.

Prosecutors said Grimes was shot while he was in plain clothes and on his way home from work. Authorities have said it's unlikely Grimes knew he was a police officer.

Grimes took the stand in his own defense on Thursday. He didn't explain to the jury's satisfaction where he was at the time, how many shots were fired or why, after being shot, he ran to a wooded area instead of banging on house doors for help, Collins reported.

The defense told the jury that no witnesses saw Grimes pull the trigger, there was no DNA evidence -- no fingerprints or gunpowder residue found -- and said the prosecution was "twisting the situation."

"It's a little disappointing. I kind of feel the jury was overwhelmed by the fact that a police officer was gunned down and murdered, and wasn't really into the situation that there was a lack of evidence here," said Grimes' attorney, Roland Walker.

A city crime lab employee left his own DNA on the pistol, but the state's case didn't rest on DNA alone.

Grimes' former girlfriend testified that she saw him playing with a handgun moments before Chesley was shot. She said he stepped out of their vehicle, and then she heard gunfire before Grimes returned with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Grimes' attorney said he plans to appeal the jury's verdict.

Grimes still has to face felony carjacking charges in an incident that happened four days before Chesley was killed.