A Cook County judge on Tuesday found Bryant Brewer guilty of murdering Chicago Police Officer Thor Soderberg in 2010.
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The Tribune reported that Brewer, who had appeared to fall asleep at times during Tuesday’s hearing, showed no reaction as the verdict was announced.
But the judge presiding over the trial questioned whether the testimony was relevant to Brewer’s guilt or innocence since Leska did not evaluate whether he was insane at the time of the officer’s slaying.
But the defense contends Brewer was mentally ill and feared for his life after Soderberg struck him on the head with his service weapon after seeing Brewer jump a fence at the police facility.
Corcoran also noted that Brewer was extremely upset that a female police officer had shot at him after Soderberg’s killing – a point Brewer graphically made during a freakish appearance on the witness stand last week. “It’s possible he was not”, said Dr. James Corcoran, a forensic psychiatrist, who was called by the Brewer’s defense team Monday, on the sixth day of his murder trial. Brewer was stopped when one of the officers shot him in the abdomen.
Brewer was also accused of firing shots at a man sitting across the street and stealing his tool bag after he shot Soderberg, according to Assistant State’s Attorney John Dillon. “It is as if Officer Soderberg is speaking about himself within the third individual”. The defense sought a finding of insanity or mental illness, but Judge Joyce said the defense did not present the evidence necessary.
Prosecutors claim Brewer attacked Soderberg, beating him before stealing Soderberg’s gun and shooting the veteran officer once in his back and twice in his face. However Corcoran stated the proof confirmed the officer by no means fired her gun. Cooper testified that during his four interviews he found Brewer’s responses “very goal-oriented and contextually appropriate”. “I would need to have a plausible explanation from him on what happened”, said Corcoran, noting that Brewer’s weird behavior upended any such effort. He quoted Brewer as telling him that Soderberg was “drinking a Heineken so I didn’t know what he was thinking so he was probably wanting to kill himself”.
Defense attorney Caroline Glennon argued Brewer was legally insane at the time Soderberg was killed, adding he suffered from schizophrenia.
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Corcoran said that shortly after the shooting, while interviewing Brewer, who was 23 at the time, that he exhibited traits of aphasia – a speech disorder associated with brain trauma.
