MACON, Ga. — Jury selection for the Lonnie Shaw trial began Tuesday morning around 10:00 a.m. and ran late into the evening, but Shaw is used to waiting. It’s been nearly 3 years since Peach County Deputy Brandon Williams shot Shaw on his front porch.
Williams and his patrol partner were sent to Shaw's house in May 2016 after Shaw's stepson showed up to the hospital with a gunshot wound, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation later determined the stepson accidentally shot himself in Crawford County.
Deputy Williams knocked on Shaw's door around 3 a.m., but Shaw told 13 WMAZ he wasn't sure who was there, so he answered with a pistol by his side. Williams claims Shaw raised the gun at him and his partner, so he shot him, but Shaw is charged with aggravated assault for allegedly pointing the gun at the officers. He's also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Shaw is hoping the jury selected Tuesday doesn’t find him guilty of said crimes.
Shaw sat in the courtroom with his defense team, along with his mother and some other family members. Before jury selection started, Judge David Mincey granted a motion to sequester all law enforcement involved in the case from being inside the courtroom during the trial, including Deputy Williams.
“The defendant in this case is Mr. Lonnie Russell Shaw and he has entered a plea of not guilty to two charges in this case, and those are aggravated assault on a police officer and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony," Judge Mincey told a pool of around 100 summoned jurors.
For several hours, the defense and the prosecution weeded out jurors, asking questions like, "Do you own a gun?" "Have you had any positive or negative interactions with police officers?" "Have you seen any media coverage on this case?"
“Have you for any reason formed or expressed any opinion with regard to the guilt or innocence of the accused? Have you any prejudice or bias for or against the accused? Do you have concerns on whether you can be perfectly impartial between the state and the accused," Judge Mincey asked potential jurors.
The prosecution and defense narrowed down the pool to 12 qualified jurors, and a few alternates.
Opening statements are expected to begin on Wednesday morning at the Peach County Courthouse. Shaw could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted on both counts.