Statewide Iowa — Opening arguments started Tuesday afternoon in the murder trial of Michael Lang of Grundy Center in the shooting death of Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Jim Smith last April.
During opening arguments streamed by KCRG T-V, prosecutor Douglas Hammerand described how Smith and other officers entered Lang’s garage to arrest him. He says that’s when Lang turned on Smith with a shotgun.
He says Lang fired again before Smith could be pulled to safety.
He says another officer pulled Smith away but he died. Hammerand told the jury they will lay out why this is first-degree murder.
Lang’s defense plans to use the state’s Stand Your Ground law and will argue Lang shot Smith in self-defense. The trial was moved to Webster City due to pre-trial publicity
