Norfolk, Va. – The Norfolk officer charged with shooting and killing a mentally ill man while on the job in 2014 appeared in court on Tuesday morning.
Michael Edington
Officer Michael Edington was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of David Latham.
Police originally said Latham was holding a knife and threatening officers when his family called police for help. But his family claimed Edington used excessive force.
A grand jury agreed and indicted Edington earlier this year.
In court in November 2015, his attorneys addressed a pretrial motion requesting for the defense to go back to the crime scene.
At a motions hearing on December 15, Edington’s attorney asked the judge if Edington could go back to the scene of the crime to explain to expert witnesses his account of what happened.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney argued that it would be too intrusive for the victim’s family to go back to the scene–adding that the Commonwealth has already taken measurements and more than 200 pictures of the scene that the defense already has.
The judge deferred making a ruling, saying he is going to review the pictures the Commonwealth side has taken to see if the defense needs to come back to the house on their own.
Edington’s trial is set for February.
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