Duluth officer on trial for shooting unarmed man in 2020

DULUTH, Minn. – A prosecutor in the St. Louis County trial of a Duluth police officer who shot an unarmed man through the closed door of his apartment told jurors the defendant repeatedly fired his weapon even as he heard the victim begging for his life.

Prosecutor Aaron Welch told jurors Tuesday during opening statements that Officer Tyler Leibfried had time to think and made a choice to shoot again and again, injuring Jared Fyle on Sept. 12, 2020. But Leibfried’s attorney, Paul Engh, told the jury the officer was defending himself against what he believed to be the sound of gunshots.

Leibfried is facing several felony charges, including second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

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