FINLEY, N.D. - The first day of trial began here Tuesday for a Cooperstown man accused of shooting an officer during a standoff.
Darin Dahl, 35, was holed up in a Luverne home for more than 20 hours April 9 and 10 in 2008.
Authorities say he fired on officers and that a bullet struck the helmet of a Red River Valley SWAT team member.
Dahl faces charges of attempted murder and reckless endangerment.
"This is real guns and real ammunition," Steele County prosecutor Charlie Stock told the jury in his opening statement. "This wasn't for fun. This is the real thing."
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Using an aerial photo of the scene, Stock explained to jurors how the standoff unfolded.
He said officers created a perimeter around the Luverne residence, which was a friend's home where Dahl was staying.
Negotiators called Dahl on the phone several times and tried to coax him out of the house, to no avail, Stock said.
Dahl's attorney Blake Hankey told Judge Steven Marquart of state District Court that he would reserve his opening statement until later.
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