Testimony Begins In Deputy Shooting Trial

CROOKSTON  (AP) - Testimony begins in Polk County in the trial of a man accused of shooting a sheriff's deputy in 2009.

Thirty-four-year-old Thomas Fairbanks is accused of first-degree murder in the death of Mahomen County Deputy Chris Dewey. He was shot in the head and abdomen in February 2009 and died 18 months later as a result of his injuries.

An accomplice, Daniel Vernier, pleaded guilty for failing to aid Dewey after the shooting. Vernier is expected to testify against Fairbanks.

Vernier was arrested in St. Cloud earlier this month for allegedly assaulting the mother of his children.

Fairbanks faces life in prison if convicted. The trial is expected to last about three weeks.

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