Trial Begins for Former Peters Police Officer

The trial in the shooting of Clairton police , who spent 13 years with , began Monday.

Kuzak was left paralyzed after he was shot in the line of duty responding to a home invasion in Clairton on April 4, 2011. Monday's first testimony traced the events up until the two intruders escaped.

The homeowner said the two men broke into her home, gathered her, her two daughters and her fiance, and then held a gun to her 4-year-old girl, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

Later, they put the gun in the woman's mouth and started to sexually assault her, she said. 

The suspects are identified as Emilio Rivera, 27, of McKees Rocks, and Marcus Andrejco, 19, of Rankin. 

Kuzak was shot three times—once in the chest through his bulletproof vest and once in each arm, according to Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Daniel Fitzsimmons.

He became paralyzed from the middle of his abdomen down—the shot through his chest hit his vertebrae. 

The jury is comprised of 10 women and two men, the newspaper reports.

The defendants confessed and are charged with more than two dozen counts.

The trial continues for several days.

For the full story, click here. 

Editor's Note: Many events have been held—in and nearby—to support Kuzak throughout the past year. Revisit our coverage here: