Jury selection begins Monday in the trial of a man accused of shooting a Pennsylvania state trooper during a dramatic shootout last November.
Daniel Clary, 22, is charged with attempted homicide after he allegedly shot Pennsylvania State Police Corp. Seth Kelly during a routine traffic stop in the Lehigh Valley.
Kelly and Trooper Ryan Seiple pulled over Clary, who they suspected was driving under the influence. Video showed Clary breaking away from Seiple and reaching into his car before opening fire on the two officers, according to Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli.
Kelly was three times, leaving bullet wounds in his neck, shoulder area and leg.
Clary also suffered wounds during the shootout. He was arraigned from his hospital bed last November and charged with two accounts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, two counts of criminal homicide, and aggravated assault, among other offenses.
Seiple was not injured during the shootout.
Kelly was treated for his wounds and was released from St. Luke’s University Hospital in December. A tourniquet he applied to his leg at the traffic stop likely saved his life. Kelly retains no memory of the shooting due to a medically induced coma.
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Last week, Clary's attorney requested more time to find an expert witness to counter testimoney planned for the prosecution, but the judge declined the request.
Monica Patterson, Clary's mother, told lehighvalleylive.com her son has a long history of mental illness and suffers from paranoid schizophrenia after a series of head injuries.
"His mental illness needs to be addressed,'' she said weeks after the shooting. "They think he's normal, but he's not normal.''
Clary was found competent to stand trial following a mental health evaluation.
