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Jurors Hear Evidence On Teen 'Crime Spree' Ending In Officer Caprio's Death

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Jurors saw pictures of blood-stained pavement where a stolen Jeep ran over Officer Amy Caprio last May.

Jurors also saw other evidence — as the trial of Caprio's accused killer continued Wednesday.

An evidence technician, who took pictures of the casing from the shot Caprio fired at the Jeep and her blood on the pavement and neighbors in the community shared what they saw on the day Caprio was struck and killed.

'This Was A Senseless, Cruel Murder,' State Shows Jury Video Of Officer Amy Caprio's Fatal Encounter

The state repeatedly tried to tie 17-year-old suspect Dawnta Harris to a string of home break-ins in Perry Hall the afternoon of the killing. The prosecution alleged Harris was in the Jeep with three friends and was the lookout during a burglary on Linwen Way when Officer Caprio responded to a suspicious vehicle call.

The teen's defense team maintained that no witness had tied their client to the burglaries.

"The question becomes whether they can lasso him into these burglaries for felony murder," defense attorney Warren Brown told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "The evidence is clear he never entered these homes."

During cross-examination of the police technician, defense attorney J. Wyndal Gordon replayed Officer Caprio's body-worn camera video which showed the moments before she was hit.

Prosecutors said Harris was behind the wheel. It was too painful for many of Caprio's loved ones who briefly left the packed courtroom.

"There is no evidence in this case that gives us grave concern," Gordon told reporters.

Jurors heard from Matthew Clifford who owns the Linwen Way home that was broken into when Caprio encountered Harris in the stolen Jeep outside.

He testified about more than $3,000 in items were taken including a 9mm gun and two magazines. His house was ransacked with a safe thrown down the stairs which made large holes in the wall. A brick was used to smash in the outside door leading to his basement.

Prosecutors played a 911 call from Patricia Smith who came home to find her door unlocked and her belongings ransacked as well.

Another neighbor, Constantine Hagepanos, had a package stolen from his porch and captured the Jeep on his surveillance camera.

None of the witnesses could identify Dawnta Harris.

Harris' attorneys maintain their client knew nothing of the other teens' activities and that Officer Caprio's death was accidental. "This young man did not intend to hit this officer. He did not even know he hit her," Brown said.

Jurors have yet to see the police questioning of Harris the day of Caprio's death.

Prosecutors are not allowed to bring up Harris' background, including that he was on electronic monitoring at the time of the incident. His mother said last year that the juvenile justice system failed her son.

Testimony in the case resumes Thursday morning.

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