PEA RIDGE, Ark. — Jury deliberations will continue into Thursday, Feb. 8, for a Pea Ridge woman's capital murder trial.
Shawna Cash is accused of killing a Pea Ridge Police Department (PRPD) officer in 2021.
The state rested its case on Feb. 6, and jury deliberations began on Feb. 7.
After the jury was read its instructions, the defense counsel chose to rest their case without calling any witnesses and delivered closing arguments.
The defense made the argument that Cash's consequences did not align with her purpose. They claimed Cash was not thinking about killing Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple, rather his death was a consequence of her intentions to flee from police.
The defense also asked the jury to find her guilty of second-degree murder instead of capital murder. However, prosecutors have previously stated they will attempt to seek the death penalty. If the jury grants the defense's wishes, the death penalty will be taken off the table.
The prosecution told the jury that "justice demands that we call this what it is—capital murder."
The prosecution called at least 11 witnesses during the first full day of the trial on Monday, Feb. 5, including an officer who was on the scene at the time of the incident. The gallery was filled with spectators watching as prosecutors argued Cash "made a choice" when she allegedly hit and killed Apple with a car in 2021.
Officer Brian Stamps was one of the 11 witnesses to take the stand on Monday. Stamps was the only other officer on the scene at the gas station when Cash allegedly struck Officer Apple with a car.
Stamps recalled the scene and said he heard and saw Cash drive as fast as she could away from the gas station as Apple told her to “stop.” Stamps said Apple repeatedly yelled at Cash, "Don't do it.” As Cash allegedly drove away, Stamps said he fired his service weapon multiple times in an effort to stop her.
Other testimonies on Monday came from Fayetteville and Farmington officers who had previous run-ins with Cash within the year prior to the 2021 incident.
The prosecution also showed the jury photos, drone video, and hard evidence of the crime scene.
On the second full day of trial, pedestrian witnesses in the area recalled the day of the incident, with one witness saying he ran straight towards Apple's body after noticing it in the street.
When jury selection began on Jan. 29, the courtroom was at max capacity, with 182 potential jurors. The judge asked potential jurors if they knew the prosecution, the defense, or any potential witnesses.
The Death of Officer Kevin Apple
According to the PRPD, in June 2021 Officer Apple and another PRPD officer approached a vehicle that looked like one that had fled police.
When they tried to talk to those inside the car, Shawna Cash and Elijah Andazola, police said a fight began and Cash started to drive off, hitting Officer Apple and dragging him "nearly 150 feet."
Officer Apple ended up pinned between two vehicles and died, according to police.
Cash and Andazola later crashed their car, and were arrested, the release said.
According to police, Cash did not take responsibility for the fatal crash, saying she "blacks out" when stressed, and that she had smoked pot the morning of Officer Apple's death.
On Sept. 2021, Shawna Cash, 22, of Pine Bluff pleaded not guilty to capital murder and other charges in the death of Officer Kevin Apple. Prosecutors, however, said they are seeking the death penalty.
Andazola is being charged with being an accomplice to capital murder, and will face trial in March.
Stay with 5NEWS for updates on this developing story.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.