Day one of jury selection wrapped up on Tuesday in the capital murder trial of a man accused in the 2023 shooting death of a San Benito police officer.

Rogelio Martinez faces a capital murder charge in the Oct. 20, 2023, shooting death of San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Jury selection began at the Cameron County Courthouse, where hundreds of potential jurors spent hours working through questionnaires.

Legal teams must narrow a pool of about 450 people down to 14 — 12 jurors and 2 alternates. Jury selection is set to continue Wednesday morning.

The case stems from a chase that began on South Padre Island. Police say officers were pursuing a speeding truck on the beach driven by Rodrigo Axel Espinosa Valdez.

Martinez was reportedly a passenger in the truck.

Police say gunfire was exchanged between those inside the truck and responding officers. The chase then continued into San Benito, where Lieutenant Resendez joined in. Investigators say his patrol unit crossed paths with the truck, and Martinez allegedly fired shots into Resendez's patrol unit. One bullet hit Resendez in the abdomen.

Resendez, a nearly 26-year veteran of the San Benito Police Department, later died.

‘He died doing what he loved:’ Family grieving for slain San Benito police officer

Espinosa Valdez has since pleaded guilty to murder and is set to be sentenced on Aug. 24, 2026.

In a statement, a San Benito spokesperson told Channel 5 News that their thoughts are with Resendez's family and his fellow officers who have carried his loss with them.

Watch the video above for the full story.