Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial: Responding officers testify about confronting gunman
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The first police officers to respond to the 911 calls about the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue four years ago took the stand to testify on Friday.
The alleged gunman is accused of killing 11 people at the synagogue, which housed three congregations, on Oct. 27, 2018. It was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
Testimony day 4
Police officers have been taking the stand describing their efforts to subdue the gunman and stop the carnage inside the synagogue.
Responding to a call of an active shooter, Officers Daniel Mead and Michael Smidga were immediately met with gunfire coming through the front door.
"A first shot...then you could hear the broken glass," Smidga testified this morning. "A round went by my head. Glass coming toward my face."
Officer Mead testified Thursday that he came face-to-face with the gunman and was shot through the wrist and hand. Smidga said he moved Mead to safety and took cover. He then said he felt faint and short of breath.
"Started to feel some heat, thought I might bleed out," he said. "Glass had passed through my ear and there was shrapnel in my face."
Still, he moved down the side of the building and looked through a window where he saw the barrel of a rifle in a doorway and saw the gunman whom he identified in the courtroom.
"I waited for the man with the rifle to fully present himself in this doorway," he said. "The man sitting right over there," he then pointed in the courtroom. "I backed up to pull my gun to shoot. He started to look my way. That's when I started firing."
Smidga said he got off three shots. He was asked if he hit the defendant.
"No, but I know he was pissed," Smidga responded. He then said the gunman fired three rounds in return.
When SWAT Tactical Commander Stephen Mescan entered the synagogue, he immediately encountered a scene of unimaginable horror: three dead bodies on the floor. Asked how he knew they were dead, he said, "their faces were unrecognizable."
Moving through the building he would see five other bodies -- each shot multiple times with what he knew to be a high-powered weapon -- as other SWAT members discovered three more bodies on the lower floor. There were 11 fatal victims in all.
"Seeing victims shot, faces unrecognizable. Just the scope and size of carnage. Though we are procedurally oriented, the emotional toll is now taking an immense toll. We're relying on our training and experience, but we have never seen anything like this," Mescan said.
Mescan and two other members ascended stairs to the third floor where Officer Tim Matson and others located the suspect in a room and a massive gun battle ensued. He saw those officers drag a wounded Matson from the room, shot multiple times.
"Massive injuries to his head, to his torso," Mescan says. "He was losing a lot of blood. He was in immense pain."
Officer Clint Thimons was in a second group to take over.
"The room was full of heavy smoke that kind of hung in air," Thimons testified. "There was a dark silhouette that was moving and then a muzzle flash."
The suspect fired and Thimons testified he returned fire -- 10 to 15 rounds. Other officers fired as well. There was a pause and the suspect called out.
"He said was injured and he was done fighting and wanted us to come in and get him. I told him, 'We're not coming in there.' If they wanted for the incident to end and to survive, he needed to come to us.'"
After they carried Matson down the stairs, the defendant sparks a second gun battle, even greater than the first with dozens of rounds exchanged. There was a pause and the defendant said he'll surrender. He crawled to the SWAT officers and Mescan says he reveals the reason for the attack.
"He made angry statements about 'all these Jews must die.' His actual statement is 'these Jews need to die.'" And sometime later, Mescan recalled: "He made a spontaneous utterance about being angry about them killing children."
Mescan said they didn't know if there was a second shooter in the building and they lied to the defendant about seeing him with an accomplice on a surveillance camera.
"He said, 'That must of been some f-ing Jew. I did this myself,'" Mescan said. "He wanted to be very clear he was by himself, and this was his doing."
Court releases exhibits
The court is releasing exhibits introduced -- photos, audio and videos -- to the public a day later.
Here's some of what the jury is seeing and hearing.
Recapping the trial
During the first three days of the trial at the federal courthouse in Pittsburgh, opening statements were delivered by prosecutors and defense attorneys, followed by two days of testimony from survivors and testimony from a police officer who was wounded while responding to the synagogue.
There is little question about the defendant's guilt. Rather, the case is about whether he will get the death penalty. In her opening statements, defense attorney Judy Clarke readily admitted that the defendant was responsible for the carnage, calling his actions immeasurable and inexcusable.
Most of the victim's families have said they support the death penalty in this case.
Support is available for those in need during the trial
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health effects from the trial, go to 1027healingpartnership.org to find help resources. As always, call 911 to report threats.
Phone: 412-697-3534
Email: info@1027HealingPartnership.org
Website: 1027healingpartnership.org
More resources can be found here.