FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A group of Hollywood Police Department officers took the stand at a sentencing hearing for a man convicted of killing one of their colleagues, WSVN reported.
Officer Yandy Chirino was shot and killed in 2021 during a struggle after he responded to reports of a suspect checking car door handles. Jason Banegas pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Chirino’s death.
Officers Henry Martinez and Manuel Rodriguez-Blevins recounted their response and efforts to save Chirino during opening statements on Dec. 2.
“He was pointing at his face ... I could tell that he’d been shot,” Rodriguez-Blevins testified.
He told the court that after calling for help on the radio, he attempted to render aid.
“How did you know Officer Chirino was still alive on the drive to the hospital?” a prosecutor asked Martinez.
“He was squeezing my finger,” Martinez replied.
Both officers also testified about Chirino’s character and their friendships.
“I had the privilege of knowing one of the best human beings God has created. A man who loved his family, loved his job and lived every day fully ...” said Martinez. “His death didn’t just take a friend away from me, it took away a future. He deserved to live.”
Eight of 12 jurors would have to agree to a death sentence, or Banegas will be sentenced to life in prison, according to the report.
