Closing arguments began Thursday in the trial of the Alberta man accused of murdering Abbotsford police Const. John Davidson.
Oscar Arfmann has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the fatal Nov. 6, 2017 shooting.
Arfmann appeared in the courtroom dressed a red sweatshirt and red sweatpants. Members of the Abbotsford Police Department (APD) were in the gallery, including Chief Mike Serr.
Serr said the trial has been hard on Davidson’s widow and children, who were also in the courtroom.
“Really difficult for them to share about John’s final moments and see some of that video. But they are such an amazing family,” he said.
At one point, Arfmann took a tissue from a box, folded it carefully, and wiped his eyes with it several times. He otherwise showed no emotion.
On Thursday, Crown said there was no debate about whether Davidson was murdered. The 24-year veteran of the APD was shot twice, once in the back and once in the neck by a high powered rifle, the court has heard.
The key question is one of identification, the prosecution argued: was it Oscar Arfmann holding the gun?
WATCH: More officers testify against suspect accused of killing Abbotsford constable
Over the course of the trial, the court has heard from several witnesses who identified Arfmann at the scene of the shooting, but none who actually saw him pull the trigger.
Crown defended witnesses’ reliability in its closing arguments, calling them honest and credible people who did not embellish or become tainted from media coverage, and saying minor differences in their recollection shows they didn’t collude on their testimony.
Last week, Arfmann’s lawyer told the court the accused wouldn’t take the stand in his defence, and no other witnesses would be called.
Closing arguments are expected to continue Thursday and Friday.
Witness testimony
The court has previously heard that Arfmann was arrested driving a stolen black Ford Mustang the day of the shooting.
Const. Shawn Alton, the APD officer that rammed the Mustang prior to Arfmann’s arrest, testified that he saw the stock of a rifle inside the suspect vehicle.
Larry Siefert, a witness whose dash cam caught video played in the trial, previously told the court he’d heard gunshots in the area. The video depicts what Crown says is Arfmann holding a rifle.
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Another witness, Corey Thomas, managed the Abbotsford car dealership Arfmann is accused of stealing the Mustang from.
Thomas told the court he’d seen the Mustang from across the street the day of the shooting, and boxed it in with his pickup truck.
He testified that when he and his boss confronted Arfmann, the accused replied, “I’ll show you what I have in store for the police,” and shot the truck twice before fleeing.
Defence has argued their client’s mental health is an issue, despite Crown arguing Arfmann has already been deemed fit for trial.
WATCH: Trial of man accused of killing Abbotsford police officer hears from man who spoke to accused
At the time of Arfmann’s arrest, his family said he had been struggling with mental health issues.
The defence also argued throughout the trial Crown’s witnesses have mistaken their client as the shooter, suggesting someone else was responsible for Davidson’s death.
—With files from Neetu Garcha, Janet Brown, Sean Boynton and Rumina Daya
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