Jury selection to begin in trial over San Marcos officer death

Daniel Gravois
·1 min read

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SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Jury selection begins Monday in Hays County in the trial of a man facing a capital murder charge in the death of a San Marcos police officer in 2017.

Stewart Mettz, 57, is accused of shooting and killing Officer Ken Copeland on Dec. 4, 2017.

On that day, San Marcos police officers went to Mettz’s home to serve a warrant on charges of assault and injury to an elderly person. When officers knocked on his door, police said Mettz opened the door and immediately began shooting, striking Copeland twice. Copeland was rushed to the hospital where he died.

Man indicted on capital murder charge in officer’s death

A Hays County grand jury in Feb. 2018 indicted Mettz on the capital murder charge, the charge of injury to an elderly person and a retaliation charge.

At that time, Hays County Criminal District Attorney Wes Mau’s office did not indicate if they will seek the death penalty in this case.

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