Jury receives case of officer charged in drive-by killing

Monday, May 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The jury received the case after several hours of final arguments in the murder trial of Ron Mortensen. Jurors deliberated about two hours before retiring for the evening.

Mortensen, 31, is charged with shooting Daniel Mendoza on Dec. 28 when he and Christopher Brady went to harass gang members after drinking at several bars.

Brady was the key witness during the trial, and defense attorney Frank Cremens claimed in closing arguments that he lied in implicating his fellow officer in the shooting.

But prosecutor Gary Guymon said Mortensen was the one shooting the gun from the truck the two men were riding in, and was clearly identified by several witnesses.

Brady testified that he and Mortensen drove around the city the night of the shooting, seeking to harass gang members and drug addicts that they dealt with nightly as Metro Police officers. Both were off duty the night of the shooting and both have since resigned from the force.

Brady, a six-year member of the force until his January resignation, testified the shooting took place while he and Mortensen went from one bar to another celebrating Mortensen's birthday.