Brian Fitch Trial Continues Into 2nd Day Of Testimony
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The second day of testimony got underway Friday morning in the trial for a man accused of shooting and killing a Twin Cities Police officer.
On the night before he's accused of gunning down Officer Scott Patrick last July 30, Brian Fitch Sr. made a chilling statement to his girlfriend.
Taya Moran told jurors Fitch said to her, "if he ever got pulled over he would shoot the cop."
He was angry with her for giving police his cell number a few days earlier after the two had argued. There was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Moran also described a gun Fitch showed her -- a pistol with a laser sight. That would match the gun he had in his possession when he was arrested.
Defense attorney Lori Traub asked Moran if she and Fitch were using meth that night. Moran answered "Yes."
Earlier in the day, Officer Jake Peterson produced the photo lineups shown to two women who witnessed the shooting. Both gave detailed descriptions of his getaway car, but neither could pick Fitch out.
That car was later abandoned behind a home on South Robert Street in St. Paul. Officer Chu Yang found it poorly concealed under a blue tarp, telling jurors, "it just didn't fit in."
The timeline of when Fitch arrived at that home on Robert Street is being called into question.
Officer Patrick was shot at 12:20 p.m., yet three residents at that home all testified that Fitch was there shortly after high noon.
Fitch offered $800 for the use of a friend's mother's SUV. He was in that vehicle when he was finally cornered by police and taken into custody after a wild shootout.
The trial opened up Thursday with video of the final moments of Officer Patrick's life.
After their brief opening statements in the St. Cloud courtroom, prosecutors wasted no time showing the jury the most shocking piece of evidence: two dash cam videos that captured the sight and sounds of Patrick's killing.
More than a dozen of his family and friends were there on Thursday and were silent while the dash cam video played. Fitch remained expressionless, but could be seen rocking back and forth at times.
The video shows Patrick driving near Dodd Road and Smith Avenue in Mendota Heights, and stopping a car that police say Fitch was driving. In the video, Patrick did not seem in a hurry, and did not seem worried about the stop.
Just 11 seconds after Patrick got out of his squad, a gun came out of the other vehicle's window, and Patrick was shot and killed.
As soon as the shots were fired, the car sped off. Patrick was hit in the right thigh, then the stomach, then the right side of the head.
Seconds later, witnesses rushed to help. Prosecutors called several eyewitnesses to the stand. Each one described a white male speeding from the scene in the green Pontiac.
Police later caught Fitch in St. Paul after a day-long manhunt.