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Doctors’ testimony continues in trial of man accused of murdering police officer

Medical doctors weigh in on sanity of Elliahs Dorsey

WISH-TV is streaming the trial on its Facebook page.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The parade of doctors called by defense attorneys continued Wednesday in the murder trial of Elliahs Dorsey, the man accused of shooting and killing Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Breann Leath.

Dorsey is accused of fatally shooting Leath while she and other officers responded to a domestic dispute just after 2:45 p.m. April 9, 2020, in the 1800 block of Edinburge Square. That’s in an apartment complex located southeast of the I-70 interchange with I-465.

The prosecution originally had sought the death penalty in the case, but that possibility is no longer an option after Dorsey underwent psychiatric evaluations.

Defense attorneys last week told the jury they intend to prove that Dorsey is innocent by reason of insanity.

Just like on Tuesday, all of the doctors called Wednesday by the defense agreed that Dorsey was insane when he shot and killed Leath through a door.

Dr. Shawn Agharkar diagnosed Dorsey has having schizophrenia because he still to this day has delusions that he was going to be killed on the day of the shooting.

Agharkar testified that Dorsey’s insanity on the day of the shooting could not have been caused by marijuana use because his delusions have continued.

For the first time during the trial that began Feb. 12, jurors on Wednesday heard from doctors who were not called by the defense.

Dr. Stephen Ross and Dr. Amy Trivette were both called to the stand as court-appointed doctors who evaluated Dorsey.

Ross testified in agreement with doctors called by the defense. He testified that Dorsey had a brief psychotic episode at the time of the shooting.

Trivette broke away from the previous six doctors who testified and said that Dorsey’s psychosis at the time of the shooting was because of a substance. She could not say if that substance was marijuana, or synthetic marijuana. She cited that, at one point, Dorsey told jail staff that he had smoked a synthetic marijuana called K2, or spice.

Less than 24 hours later, Dorsey said that he had never smoked K2.

Closing arguments were expected in the case on Thursday. The case will then be handed over to the jury to decide Dorsey’s fate.

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