Jury in Deptford officer's trial rehears testimony

After more than six hours of deliberation that began Tuesday, the jury in the case of a Deptford police officer charged with murder asked to hear his testimony again Wednesday afternoon.

Jurors began watching a video recording of James Stuart's testimony, which was nearly two hours long, around 2:45 p.m. They later left for the day and were to resume deliberating Thursday.

Stuart, 31, was off duty when he shot David Compton, 27, in the face early on Jan. 5, 2013. The men had spent a night out at the Sewell bar Lazy Lanigan's before the shooting, and were watching a movie at Stuart's Deptford home when the gunshot erupted from Stuart's off-duty service weapon.

John Eastlack Jr., Stuart's attorney, called the shooting a "horrible, tragic accident" in closing statements Tuesday and said Stuart didn't know the .40-caliber Glock pistol he was holding was loaded.

Gloucester County Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton said Stuart was intoxicated, was careless, and should have known better as a police officer than to bring out a gun while drinking.

In a call he made to his department after the shooting, Stuart said Compton was "playing with one of my weapons" but did not say who fired the shot.

Detectives said Stuart moved the weapon before they arrived.

Stuart is suspended without pay from the Deptford force, where he had worked for five years at the time of the shooting.

Compton lived in South Philadelphia and was a mechanical engineer. He was adopted as an infant from South Korea by Maureen and Bill Compton of Woodbury.

He and Stuart had known each other since high school. Stuart graduated from Deptford High School and Compton from Woodbury High.

The trial began Sept. 15, following jury selection, and included testimony from the lead detective, a dispatcher who answered Stuart's call, and Stuart, who called the shooting an accident and expressed remorse.

mboren@phillynews.com

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