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Trial Begins In Delaware Officer's Killing

GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) - The murder trial of a man charged with killing a Georgetown police officer is under way.

Jurors heard opening statements Thursday morning in the trial of 23-year-old Derrick Powell of Cumberland, Md. Powell is charged with fatally shooting officer Chad Spicer in September 2009. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty.

Prosecutors say evidence will show that Powell killed Spicer. But defense attorneys told jurors that DNA evidence found on the gun suggests that Powell may not have been the shooter.

Spicer was shot in the face after he and a fellow officer responded to a report of shots fired at a fast-food restaurant and stopped a car matching the suspects' vehicle.

The driver of the car made a plea bargain and has agreed to testify against Powell.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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