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Prosecution Rests In Trial Of Accused City Cop Killer

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The prosecution has wrapped up its case in the murder trial of the man who allegedly killed three Pittsburgh Police officers in Stanton Heights more than two years ago.

Richard Poplawski is accused of killing Officers Paul Sciullo II, Stephen Mayhle and Eric Kelly when they went to his home to answer a domestic disturbance call in April of 2009.

The final witness for the prosecution was Pittsburgh Homicide Detective J.R. Smith. He testified that he went to the accused killer's room at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital the day after the shootings where Poplawski allegedly made a confession.

According to Smith, he was surprised he was only charged with killing three officers because he thought he killed four. He purportedly said he killed Sciullo first, firing from his hip with a shotgun. Later, as Sciullo was lying on the ground, Smith said Poplawski told him he walked up to him and shot him in the neck with an AK-47.

Next, Officer Stephen Mayhle was killed, according to Smith's testimony, during a running gun battle inside Poplawski's Stanton Heights home. Officer Kelly was the third officer to die in the line of duty. He was shot as he pulled up in front of the house in his white SUV.

Smith said Poplawski told him that his mother was extremely stupid to call police knowing he [Poplawski] had guns in the house.

At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the defense takes its turn and that's expected to last about half a day. The case could go to the jury sometime late Saturday.

RELATED LINKS:
Pittsburgh Police
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