Defense will try to prove man charged with killing McKeesport officer didn't know right from wrong

Opening statements are underway in the trial of a man accused of shooting and killing a McKeesport police officer.

Johnathan Morris is charged with killing police officer Sean Sluganski and injuring another officer in 2023 when they responded to a mental health crisis. 

The trial opened Monday with the chilling radio transmissions of wounded officer Charles Thomas, who moments later would discover that Sluganski, his partner, had also been hit. 

Sluganski, a well-regarded eight-year police veteran, succumbed to his wounds. Prosecutors say that after shooting at and missing a third officer, Morris was arrested and charged with nine counts of criminal and attempted homicide, including murder of a law enforcement officer.

But in the trial ahead, the fact that Morris shot and killed Sluganski and shot and wounded Thomas is not in dispute. In her opening statement, defense attorney Carmen Robinson said Morris, an Afghanistan war veteran, suffered from PTSD and persecution delusions, and was acting in self-defense, believing that his family had summoned police to murder him.

"Imagine you're having a psychotic break and you're delusional, and you believe your mother and your brothers are trying to have the police kill you," she told the jury. 

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Kiray told the jury not to buy this insanity defense, telling them that while Morris has mental health issues, he knew that his actions were wrong. 

"It is possible that a person can be mentally ill and still be responsible for their actions," he said. "That is the case here." 

The officers had responded to a 911 call from Morris' mother, who said her son was having a PTSD episode and had become violent. Kiray said they'd been following Morris while his mother was seeking to get a so-called 302 involuntary commitment order for her son. Kiray said the officers told Morris they wanted to take him to the VA for help, but Morris shot at them instead.

"On Feb. 6, 2023, Morris shot and killed one officer and shot and wounded another who were just trying to help," Kiray said. "He knew what he was doing because he just didn't want to receive treatment." 

For her part, Robinson said Morris had reason to fear the police who were following him, including Thomas, who pursued in his police cruiser. On the 911 tape, Thomas says Morris is on the hood of his car, to which Robinson said it appeared Thomas was trying to run Morris down. 

"Why is he on the hood of your car if he is running from you?" Robinson said.   

Testimony began Monday with a 911 call taker and dispatcher and some of the detectives on this case. The trial is expected to take more than a month.