The first degree murder trial of , Christopher Brian Cope, the man accused of killing a Shreveport Police officer back in October 2010 got underway today at the Caddo Parish Courthouse.

Both the prosecution and defense presented their opening arguments in Judge Michael Pittman's courtroom this afternoon.

The state's Prosecuting Attorney, Brady O'Callaghan, painted a graphic picture of the details of the early morning that Sgt. Timothy Prunty was gunned down while on duty outside a Circle K on Bert Kouns about 3:30 a.m. on the morning of October 24, 2010.

Cope, dressed in a blue button-down shirt and khaki pants, remained somber and showed little emotion throughout the statements.

O'Callaghan presented to the jury, made up of 10 women and 2 men, a list of witnesses set to take the stand during the course of the trial.

One of those witnesses includes the Circle K clerk, Carey Sonnier, who was working that morning, one of the last people to see Sgt. Prunty alive.

The prosecution argued that Cope pulled up to the store in a red Camaro and - in cold blood- opened fire on Sgt. Prunty.

O'Callaghan banged his hand on the podium loudly 14 times during his opening statements, illustrating the number of shots that Cope took at Prunty.

Sgt. Prunty was hit four times in the backs of the legs and feet, ultimately causing him to bleed to death.

Cope's defense attorney, Dwight Doskey, asked the jury to consider Cope's state of mind that night, saying that he suffered from a deep depression and frustration about his life.

Doskey also noted that Cope had been held back twice while in school, and that he is "a little boy in a grown man's body."

Doskey confirmed that Cope had been drinking alcohol earlier that evening, possibly contributing to his actions.

Doskey says Cope visited with friends earlier in the evening, telling them "I love y'all. This will probably be the last time you'll see me."

The defense is asking the jury to consider a lesser sentence of manslaughter, because Doskey says there was no specific intent to kill. Instead, he says it was Cope's intent to harm himself by firing at Sgt. Prunty's police car.

The first witness to take the stand was Shreveport Police Communications Officer Evelyn Brown, who was on duty that morning.

Jurors also listened to an audio recording of SPD radio communications as the first officer, who was patroling nearby, arrived on scene after hearing gunshots and discovered Prunty severely wounded.

Court will reconvene at 9 a.m. on Friday morning.