Judge approves request to push trial back for man accused of shooting two Tulsa police officers

TULSA, Okla. — A judge approved a request Friday to push back the jury trial for the man accused of shooting two Tulsa police officers last summer.

Kevin Adams, the attorney representing the accused shooter David Ware, managed to get the next status update on the trial pushed back to Oct. 15.

It had been scheduled to begin on June 7.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler says the defense asked for more time so they could form their case that would fight for Ware’s life as he could be facing the death penalty.

“The court wants to make sure that the defense has every opportunity to develop what they believe they need to develop to present to a jury when it comes to sentencing on this case,” Kunzweiler says.

“As a prosecutor and certainly as a defense attorney there’s really no more important case than the type of case where you’re asking 12 citizens to impose the ultimate punishment. The death penalty is final.”

Ware is charged in the murder of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson and the additional shooting of Officer Aurash Zarkeshan the morning of June 30, 2020.

A jury convicted the man last month who was accused of helping Ware leave the scene of the traffic stop where the shooting happened.

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