SAN MARCOS, Texas – Jury selection began on Monday for the trial of a man accused of killing a San Marcos police officer in 2017. The trial is for a capital murder case and faced a setback when jury summons were not printed or mailed out. This error required county constables to hand-deliver thousands of jury notices to residents.
Hays County District Clerk Avrey Anderson attributed the mistake to a vendor error and acknowledged that technology is not always reliable. Despite the mishap, approximately 400 people showed up for jury selection for the trial of the deadly shooting of San Marcos Police Officer Kenneth Copeland.
In December 2017, Officer Copeland was serving a warrant at the home of 51-year-old Stewart Mettz for assault causing bodily injury of a family member and injury to an elderly person. When the officers knocked on the door, Mettz allegedly opened fire, striking Copeland multiple times. Mettz later surrendered.
“He was in the military and when he got out he had a lot of mental problems,” said Brenda Sinclair, Mettz’s mother-in-law. Copeland, a 19-year veteran of the department, was the first officer killed in the line of duty for the San Marcos Police Department.
Mettz now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, as the state has waived the death penalty. The trial is expected to continue as the jury selection process moves forward.
In summary, jury selection has begun for the trial of a man accused of killing San Marcos Police Officer Kenneth Copeland in 2017. Despite an error with jury summons, approximately 400 residents showed up for selection. The accused, Stewart Mettz, faces life in prison.