DALLAS — More than 200 potential jurors answered questions Friday about whether they could provide a fair trial for former Dallas police officer Christopher Hess.
Hess is charged with aggravated assault by a public servant.
Body camera video from the night of the January 2017 shooting shows Hess firing 13 shots into a car that slowly backed into his police cruiser. The driver of what Hess believed to be a stolen car did not obey his orders to stop.
The 21-year-old driver, Genevieve Dawes, was killed.
Several members of the jury pool told attorneys because a police officer was involved, they did not believe they could render a fair verdict.
Some attributed their bias to having a family member who serves or a prior good or bad interaction with officers.
Others said they had seen intense coverage of recent high-profile police shootings and their beliefs about excessive use of force might cloud their judgment.
A grand jury indicted Hess for aggravated assault by a public servant, a first-degree felony, in June 2017. The Dallas Police Department fired him.
Hess was in the jury room during the selection process.
If jurors find him guilty, they have a wide range of potential punishment. They could sentence him to life in prison, probation, or something in between.
Opening statements are expected Tuesday.
