Overview

• Opening statements began Monday in Clay County as Joshua Rocha, 28, went on trial for first-degree murder in the 2022 traffic-stop killing of Officer Daniel Vasquez.
• Jurors saw dashcam and Ring camera footage that prosecutors said shows Rocha firing from inside his car, then shooting Vasquez again after he fell.
• A videotaped police interview was played in which Rocha calmly admitted to the shooting and described using an AR-15 he said he bought in Kansas.
• The defense conceded Rocha killed Vasquez but urged jurors to determine the legal classification of the homicide and the appropriate penalty.
• Testimony described efforts to alter Rocha’s appearance before he turned himself in after speaking with his mother, and court resumes Tuesday with prosecutors expected to complete their case.