PHILADELPHIA – The murder trial of two men accused of killing a Philadelphia police officer has hit a delay, with jury deliberations set to resume Monday.
Jury deliberations interrupted
On Friday, the judge dismissed a juror unrelated to the case, requiring deliberations to restart.
This marks the second time an alternate juror has been called this week.
The jury, which has been deliberating for about 90 minutes, was instructed to disregard previous discussions and start fresh.
They have been sent home for the weekend.
The backstory:
Yobrani Martinez Fernandez and Hendrick Pino Fernandez are on trial for the murder of Sergeant Richard Mendez.
The incident occurred in October 2023 at the Philadelphia airport’s Terminal D parking lot.
Prosecutors allege that the men, along with two others, were attempting to steal a Jeep when confronted by Sergeant Mendez and his partner, Raul Ortiz.
The confrontation led to a deadly shooting, killing Mendez and injuring Ortiz.
What we don’t know:
The timeline for when a verdict might be reached remains uncertain.
The impact of the juror dismissal on the final outcome is yet to be seen.
The Source: Information from the courtroom.
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