Trial set for NYPD sergeant accused of killing Bronx woman

<p>A trial date has been set for an NYPD sergeant accused of a killing a Bronx woman who had a mental illness.</p>

News 12 Staff

Nov 27, 2017, 10:13 PM

Updated 2,585 days ago

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A trial date has been set for an NYPD sergeant accused of a killing a Bronx woman who had a mental illness.
Sgt. Hugh Barry appeared before a judge Monday, the same judge who will preside over his trial scheduled to begin Jan. 30.
Barry, standing beside his lawyers, decided not to be tried by a jury of his peers but instead opted for a bench trial in which a judge will decide his fate.
The NYPD sergeant is accused of killing 66-year-old Deborah Danner in her Castle Hill apartment on Oct. 18, 2016.
According to an indictment, Barry fatally shot Danner, a woman known in the neighborhood as having schizophrenia, inside her bedroom after she swung a baseball bat at him.
Danner's death sparked protests throughout the city and fueled the debate into the protocol responding officers should follow when dealing with individuals with mental illness.
Barry had hoped that his trial would be held in another county. A request by his attorney to move his case outside of Bronx County was denied by a judge on Monday. 
Barry is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Since the fatal shooting, Barry, who has been with the NYPD for eight years, remains on modified duty. He is currently out on $100,000 bond.