HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Loved ones of a slain Hollywood Police officer took the stand to share their tearful testimony before jurors, who must decide whether his killer is sentenced to death or life in prison.
In court Thursday, 22-year-old Jason Banegas, who faces the death penalty for killing officer Yandy Chirino back in 2021, sat in court stone-faced as the officer’s girlfriend of two years, Chelsea Howell, and family members expressed what their loved one meant to them.
“Yandy wasn’t just my boyfriend, he was my safe place, my best friend and my future,” said Howell. “His laughter, his joy, his energy, they were woven into every part of my everyday life. The emotional trauma of the night of October 17th is something that will play in my mind for the rest of my life.”
A statement from Chirino’s family, including his sister Yaily Chirino, was read aloud as they broke down in tears.
“Since the moment we lost him, our lives have been changed forever. Not a day passes without weight of his memory,” the statement read. “We wake up with grief, go through our days with disbelief and fall asleep with a pain that feels endless. We have lived with sleepless nights, anxiety, fear and a profound despair, knowing that we will never again hear his voice, see his smile or feel his embrace.”
On Tuesday, the jury heard from the officers who worked alongside Chirino and tried to help him before he succumbed to his wounds. On Wednesday, they heard from the medical examiners who confirmed Chirino died from the gun wound he received to the neck.
According to police, Chirino was shot by Banegas in an armed struggle when Chirino responded to reports of an individual checking car handles for unlocked vehicles near the 4000 block of North Hills Drive in Hollywood.
Officers raced to help Chirino in the midst of that fight, but the officer did not survive.
“Right before he encountered you, he was home with me, excited to head to work, joking, laughing, being his goofy self,” said Howell. “I never imagined that could be the last moment I’d share with him.”
Only eight of the 12 jurors have to vote yes in order for Banegas to be sentenced to death.
The trial is expected to resume on Monday.
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