Jury selection starts

August 16, 2010

Jury selection started Monday for the murder trial of a man who alleged shot and killed a N.C. trooper two years ago.
Edwardo Wong is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Trooper Shawn Blanton on Interstate 40 near Canton.
The trial will be held in Catawba County because a judge ruled media outlets near Canton biased potential jurors.
Wong allegedly shot Blanton to death June 17, 2008, during a traffic stop. Prosecutors say Blanton pulled Wong over because he couldn’t find information about Wong’s GMC truck in the database.
Wong’s defense attorneys maintain Wong shot Blanton in self-defense.
Blanton’s dashboard video camera captured images of Wong getting out of his vehicle to speak with Blanton, and later the camera captured the sounds of Blanton moaning as Wong pulled away.
Blanton’s family is asking for the death penalty against Wong.
Jury selection is expected to take several weeks.