An attorney representing a white Alabama police officer charged with the fatal shooting of a black man is hoping for a new venue for the trial.
The lawyer for Montgomery police officer Aaron Smith filed a motion last week seeking to move the upcoming trial. He argues the publicity of the case and protests over the shooting death of 58-year-old Montgomery man Greg Gunn would make a fair trial difficult to obtain in the state capital.
Attorney Mickey McDermott said the “racial prejudice and hatred” toward the officer warranted a venue change. The judge in the case has not yet responded to the request.
A grand jury indicted Smith on a murder charge last month. Authorities say he stopped Gunn as he was walking home through his neighborhood late at night in February of this year. Smith says Gunn disobeyed instructions and fought with him, leading to the shooting.
A date for the trial has not yet been set.