Closing arguments are set to take place on Wednesday morning in the trial of Officer Christopher Taylor, who is facing charges in connection to the 2019 death of Mauris DeSilva. DeSilva was shot and killed by police in his downtown condo complex after 911 callers reported him walking around with a knife to his neck.
Throughout the trial, the State has argued that DeSilva was undergoing a severe mental health crisis and that the police could have done more to de-escalate the situation. On the other hand, Taylor’s defense team claims that he acted in self-defense as DeSilva posed a threat to the officers.
The charge of deadly conduct in this case involves knowingly firing a gun at another person. While Taylor’s attorneys do not dispute that he shot DeSilva, they maintain that it was a justifiable use of force. Three other officers were involved in the confrontation with DeSilva, with one officer shooting him and another firing a Taser.
Interestingly, Taylor was originally facing a murder charge in connection to this incident, but the charge was dropped prior to the trial. However, one of the other officers involved, Karl Krycia, still faces a murder charge for shooting DeSilva. Prosecutors have questioned the officers about why they did not take more time to gather information about DeSilva’s mental state before engaging with him.
In a separate case last year, Taylor stood trial for the murder of Michael Ramos, which ended in a mistrial. The case was brought to a grand jury this year, who decided not to indict Taylor on murder charges in that incident.
The trial has brought to light important questions about police conduct, mental health crisis intervention, and the use of force by law enforcement officers. As the closing arguments approach, the jury will have to weigh the evidence presented by both sides to come to a decision. Stay tuned for updates on the trial proceedings.
