FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2015, file photo, former Albuquerque Detective Keith Sandy, left, and Officer Dominique Perez speak with attorneys during a preliminary hearing in Albuquerque, N.M. Perez took the stand Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, to testify in his own defense, marking the first time either officer has spoken publicly about the 2014 shooting that killed 38-year-old James Boyd and derailed the officers' law enforcement careers. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras, File)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Latest on the trial of two former Albuquerque, New Mexico, police officers charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a homeless man (all times local):

4:35 p.m.

The prosecutor has begun cross-examining a former police officer on trial on murder charges in the death of a homeless man in Albuquerque that touched off unrest in the city in 2014.

Dominique Perez calmly answered questions from special prosecutor Randi McGinn about how he killed an erratic homeless camper with a knife with his rifle at close range. She asked him how he placed James Boyd in the scope of his rifle and fired the weapon with .223-calibre bullets.

She also quizzed Perez about the fact he wasn't interrogated about the shooting until a two full days later, and she pointed out that the questioning was done by an Albuquerque officer he knew.

Perez and now-retired Detective Keith Sandy shot Boyd at the end of an hourslong standoff. The former officers' attorneys argue they were obligated to shoot to protect the life of a K-9 handler who came within 10 feet of Boyd.

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3:45 p.m.

A former police officer on trial in the on-duty killing of a homeless camper says he was concerned when the man began gathering his belongings to walk down a hillside with them because officers didn't know what was in the man's bags.

Dominique Perez also testified that there was potential for James Boyd to leave a contained area that Albuquerque officers had established during a standoff. If that happened, Perez says, officers ran the risk of Boyd breaking away in an open-space area.

Perez's testimony Tuesday marked the first time either he or another former officer charged in Boyd's death has spoken publicly about the 2014 shooting.

Video from Perez's helmet camera shows Boyd telling officers he'll walk down with them before a flash-bang goes off, he draws his knives and is shot seconds later.

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1:35 p.m.

A former Albuquerque police officer charged in the on-duty shooting death of a homeless man has taken the stand to testify in his own defence, with his attorney asking him about his military service in Iraq.

The testimony from Dominique Perez, a former SWAT officer, on Tuesday comes in the third week of his and now-retired Detective Keith Sandy's jury trial in Albuquerque. Both are charged with second-degree murder in the death of 38-year-old James Boyd, who was shot at the end of an hourslong standoff.

Video from Perez's helmet camera captured the shooting and prompted waves of protest in Albuquerque.

Boyd was shot in the arms and back.

Perez, who is 35, says his combat experience trained him to remain "calm under pressure," and that was a valuable skill for a police officer.

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12:40 p.m.

The attorney for a former police officer charged in the on-duty killing of a homeless man says his client will testify Tuesday, marking the first time he has spoken publicly since the 2014 shooting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The expected testimony by Dominique Perez will come during the third week of the jury trial for him and now-retired Detective Keith Sandy.

Both are charged with second-degree murder in the death of James Boyd.

Defence attorneys say the men were obligated to shoot at the end of a standoff to protect a K-9 handler who had come within 10 feet of Boyd.

Boyd had two knives in hand when he was shot in each arm and the back.

Perez was a SWAT officer called to the scene of the standoff. His helmet camera captured video of the shooting that sparked protests in Albuquerque.

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7 a.m.

The trial of two former police officers charged with second-degree murder in the death of a homeless man enters its third week Tuesday in Albuquerque.

Now-retired Detective Keith Sandy and former Officer Dominique Perez shot homeless camper James Boyd in March 2014 at the end of an hourslong standoff. The former officers' attorneys argue they were obligated to shoot to protect the life of a K-9 handler who came within 10 feet of Boyd.

Boyd had pulled two knives.

In police video of the shooting, Boyd appears preparing to surrender when a flash-bang grenade goes off and the situation unravels. Seconds later Boyd was shot in the arms and back.

Sandy and Perez are expected to testify in their own defence before the trial ends.

News from © The Associated Press, 2016