A bench trial for Baltimore Police Officer Robert Parks began Tuesday morning after he rejected a plea deal from prosecutors and chose to have a judge, rather than a jury, decide his case.
The trial comes nearly a year after a cellphone video went viral showing Parks using his patrol vehicle to chase down a man who had an open warrant. Investigators allege Parks struck the man with his patrol vehicle.
Parks was suspended without pay in October. Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced his indictment the following month.
A grand jury indicted Parks on charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and multiple counts of misconduct in office.
Records show Parks’ personnel file includes nearly a dozen additional complaints or infractions that prompted internal investigations during his five-year tenure with the Baltimore Police Department. About three of those complaints were sustained, according to the records, with the majority involving his body-worn camera.
If convicted of the charges in the current case, Parks faces a maximum of 65 years in prison.
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