Michael Mattioli homicide trial jurors set to begin deliberations

Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Jurors in the homicide trial of a former Milwaukee police officer are likely to start deliberating the case Friday.

Attorneys for Michael Mattioli rested their defense Thursday. Assistant District Attorney Paul Tiffin rested his case Wednesday.

Jurors are expected to receive their final instructions from Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Swanson Friday morning before beginning their deliberations.

Mattioli was off-duty from his job as a Milwaukee police officer when he and friend Joel Acevedo fought at Mattioli's home in April 2020.

Acevedo, 25, died days later from his injuries.

Mattioli, a 13-year veteran of the force before he resigned in September 2020, has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree reckless homicide charge.

On Thursday, Mattioli took the stand in his own defense. He testified he accused Acevedo of trying to steal from him and that Acevedo refused to leave when asked to do so.

He told jurors he intended to restrain Acevedo until police arrived and denied choking him.

Here's a recap of what else happened in court the previous day

  • A clinical pharmacology and forensic toxicology consultant, Dr. Jimmie Valentine, testified the volume of cocaine found in Acevedo’s body suggested he binged on the drug for several hours before his deadly fight with Mattioli.

  • Pulmonary physician Dr. James Pearle said Acevedo had asthma, which can be aggravated by exercise or stress.

  • Dr. Jeffrey Jentzen, a former Milwaukee County Medical Examiner and pathologist, testified Acevedo likely would have survived the encounter with Mattioli if he hadn’t had other medical conditions.

For more coverage:

Click here to learn more about the key figures of the trial.

Here's what we know about the case.

And be sure to check out this link for a timeline on what's happened in the case.

More: Here's a fact sheet on police chokeholds and how they factor into the Michael Mattioli trial

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Michael Mattioli trial jurors set to begin deliberations in Milwaukee

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