WORCESTER, Mass. — Jury selection for the man charged in connection with the deadly shooting of a Weymouth police officer and an elderly woman is slated to get underway Tuesday.
Emanuel Lopes is charged with two counts of murder in the July 2018 killings of Police Sgt. Michael Chesna and Weymouth resident Vera Adams.
Lopes was indicted by a grand jury in September 2018 and has been held without bail since.
The jury selection process is being held in Worcester County because of the high-profile nature of the case, but it will return to Norfolk Superior Court upon completion, according to Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey.
25 Investigates: Weymouth shooting suspect was out on bail after drug charges
Prosecutors say Chesna was nearing the end of his shift when he got a call about a suspect who was fleeing the scene of a car crash.
Lopes, who was 20 at the time, allegedly picked up a large rock and hit Chesna with it, knocking him to the ground. Lopes then allegedly commandeered Chesna’s gun and shot him ten times as he stood over him.
As other officers chased after him, Lopes used Chesna’s gun to shoot and kill Adams, who was drinking coffee on her porch, according to investigators.
Lopes’ trial has been rescheduled several times due to mental health tests and COVID-related backlogs.
Chesna was posthumously promoted to sergeant following his death.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2023 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
