Family of California teens accused of killing Italian cop says truth will come out Elder told the court that the heavyset Cerciello Rega was on top of him during a scuffle, and he feared the officer was trying to strangle him, so he pulled out the knife and stabbed him. When the officer didn’t immediately let him go, he stabbed again. Under Italian law, alleged accomplices can also be charged with homicide even if prosecutors admit they had no material role in the actual slaying. In her final arguments, the prosecutor asked the court to convict both defendants and sentence them to life imprisonment, Italy’s harshest criminal penalty.