Beanbag death trial wraps up

MARKHAM, Ill. (WLS) -- The trial of Park Forest police officer Craig Taylor wrapped up Friday. Taylor says he feared for his life when he fired several beanbag rounds at WWII veteran John Wrana, 95, in 2013. Wrana later died from injuries sustained by the beanbags.

The fundamental question of the trial has been whether Taylor acted recklessly when, at close range, he fired five beanbag rounds at Wrana.

On Friday Stephen Ijames, considered an international expert on police use of deadly and less-lethal force, answered with an unequivocal no.

As the final defense witness, Ijames testified that Taylor and his fellow Park Forest police officers followed the rules in their nursing home confrontation with an agitated Wrana, who was wielding a fillet knife with a seven inch blade.

Ijames says the situation would have warranted deadly force, and that Taylor and fellow officers showed rare restraint by using their less-lethal training.

But prosecutors say police threw common sense out the window. They argue that police were the ones who escalated a solvable situation. John Wrana may have been agitated, but he was in his room and wasn't going anywhere. Prosecutors suggested there were other options than using the beanbag shotgun, like waiting the situation out and talking Wrana down.

But Officer Taylor testified that he found himself in a life and death situation. His lawyer argued that even if you think there might have been a better plan, Taylor did what his training taught him to do.