the criminal trial began today of a former Newark police officer charged in a fatal shooting officer Jovanny Crespo is standing trial for firing his weapon three times from Three locations during a wild car chase in 2019 that ultimately killed the driver and wounded the passenger Crespo says pointed a gun at him the case centers on whether deadly use of force was properly used an issue that's become a point of contention between law enforcement and the communities they serve senior political correspondent David Cruz reports starts hooting powering and laughing that's the state of mind of the defendant that night before he even started to encounter the victims in this case prosecutor Alexander Albus opening statement at the manslaughter trial of Jovanny Crespo painted the former newer cop as a hot head bent on confrontation so amped that his partner had to repeatedly admonish him to calm down in a matter of fact delivery the prosecution broke down the chaotic events of the night of January 28 2019 when Crespo and his partner responded to a call for assistance during a high-speed chase through the streets of Newark what the law doesn't provide and what the criminal justice system doesn't allow is for the defendant or any police officer to be judge jury and executioner Mr Griffin ends up driving away despite the commands there is no question he was wrong for driving away from the motor vehicle stop I'm not going to refuse nobody's going to refuse however driving away from a motor vehicle stop whether or not there's a gun in the car and there was a gun in the car is not justification to shoot somebody in the back of the head and somebody else in the face that isn't enough ladies and gentlemen Crespo faces multiple counts of aggravated manslaughter aggravated assault official misconduct and weapons charges in the incident which ended with the driver Gregory Griffin dead and his passenger Andrew Dixon wounded Inside Out prosecution the prosecution from Mars defense attorney Patrick Toscano in sharp contrast to the prosecutions just the facts delivery punched the air and raised his voice repeatedly mocking the prosecution's case and then apologizing for his rhetorical flourishes before returning to them he argued that crespo's life was in danger and the shooting fell within the Attorney General's guidelines for use of force which justify it when there's quote imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person as Crespo gets up there he sees Griffin and Dixon doing what it needs holy cow not again shot at both that's when he hits them both completely Justified Jovanny Crespo made the decision that night like any cop would do any real cop any hero copy yeah you're damn straight I told him a hero he made a decision that night to be judged by 12. and not counted by six it's that simple both sides maintain that the extensive video evidence will prove their cases and dozens of other officers who were at the scene are expected to be called as Witnesses in a trial that is being closely watched in a city with a troubled history of police community relations I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight News