A jury has been enpaneled and opening statements have been given in the trial of federal agent William Clark, who is accused of murder in the Virgin Islands.
Clark, 35, an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is standing trial on charges of second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and using a dangerous weapon stemming from his shooting of Marcus Sukow during a domestic dispute.
The prosecution is presenting a case that Clark used unreasonable force, while the defense says the officer acted in self-defense, reports the Virgin Islands Daily News.
In the incident, Clark came to the aid of a female neighbor, Marguerite Duncan, who reportedly ran to him for protection in order to escape her naked, assaultive boyfriend, Sukow. Sukow was aware that Clark was a federal law enforcement officer, but reportedly ignored his lawful commands and engaged in violent behavior.
The shooting occurred several months after the ATF transferred Clark to their U.S. Virgin Islands field office in 2008.
Law enforcement support groups such as the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) have rallied behind Clark.
Read the full story at VirginIslandsDailyNews.com.
Related:
Federal Agents Rally in Support of Colleague Charged with Murder in Virgin Islands
