Officers Give Chilling Details Of Shootout With Accused Cop Killer
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (WCCO) -- The state is continuing its case against the man accused of gunning down Mendota Heights police officer Scott Patrick last July.
Brian Fitch Sr. is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Officer Patrick during a routine traffic stop on July 30, 2014. Monday, jurors heard graphic testimony from several of the officers who exchanged gunfire with Fitch, when he was later taken into custody.
Patrick would have turned 48 years old today. Instead of celebrating, his family was sitting in a Stearns County courtroom at the trial of his accused killer, Fitch.
"Scott had a life worth celebrating and even tragedy can't take away from the life that he already lived," his brother, Mike Brue, said.
On Monday, prosecutors entered into evidence the two 9 millimeter bullets recovered from Patrick's body. Fitch wouldn't look as they were shown to his defense attorney. We also heard from the officers who exchanged gunfire with Fitch after he drove into a parking lot and was cornered.
St. Paul officer Tim Bohn was just 15 feet away from the passenger side of Fitch's blue Hyundai Vera Cruise when he "saw a black object and multiple flashes coming from the gun," Bohn said.
He returned fire five to seven times from only 15 feet away and moved around to the front of the vehicle where he fired six more into the windshield.
When asked why he kept shooting, Bohn said, "Because I'd just been shot at."
Officer Don Benner was also on the scene and fired four times at Fitch. When questioned who shot first, he clearly said, "The driver of the vehicle shot first."
Late Monday afternoon, we heard from those who were with Fitch at the end. Kelly Hardy was in the back seat of his vehicle when he became cornered. She was hit by police gunfire. But it was Jake Hayes in the front seat who jumped out after Fitch pointed the gun at him.
According to Jeff Klink, Fitch wanted to go to a friend's cabin in Luck, Wis., when he left the home on Sycamore. But he allegedly told Hayes and Klink to say he was headed to Canada.