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Court to determine if teen accused of killing officer James Skernivitz should be tried as adult

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CLEVELAND — One of the two teenagers accused of killing Cleveland police officer James Skernivitz and confidential information Scott Dingess will find out shortly if he will be tried as an adult.

The then 17-year-old was in court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine if he should be bound over to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

In Sept. 2020, Skernivitz and Dingess were in an unmarked patrol car getting ready for an undercover drug operation when they were killed in what prosecutors described as a botched robbery.

Dingess was wearing a recording device that captured the shooting.

"At this juncture two things, our client is innocent until proven guilty, and two, regardless of the outcome this is just the first step in the process," the teenager's lawyer said.

The other teenager involved took a plea deal.

David McDaniel, 18, is accused in the two murders and if he is convicted, will face the death penalty.

RELATED: 1 of the teenagers accused of killing Cleveland police officer James Skernivitz sentenced