MIT Officers Testify About Night Sean Collier Was Killed
BOSTON (CBS) - Jurors in the Boston Marathon bombing trial watched never-before-released surveillance video Wednesday of what prosecutors say is the Tsarnaev brothers approaching and killing MIT Officer Sean Collier. In the video, jurors saw the pair calmly cross part of the campus, come upon Collier's cruiser, and shoot him in the head. Seconds later, the brothers run away in the direction from which they came.
Several MIT Officers testified about that terrible night.
Jurors heard a recording of the police radio call made by Sgt. Clarence Henniger, who was first to see Collier's near lifeless body.
"Oh my goodness, all units! Officer down, Officer down!" Henniger shouted.
At the very moment the brothers were leaning into Collier's cruiser, an MIT graduate student happened to ride his bike by the scene. He testified today that he couldn't tell anything was wrong, but he recognized Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from that night and he pointed him out in court.
Of the night of April 18, 2013, Nathan Harman said as he rode by the younger Tsarnaev, "he snapped up, stood up, turned around and looked startled. We made eye contact. I remember thinking he had a big nose, but nothing beyond that."
Earlier, jurors started seeing a lot of the physical evidence that supports the government's case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Among the evidence displayed by an FBI agent was what is left of the pressure cooker that once contained one of the bombs, now little more than a twisted and charred piece of metal.
There were also two paint cans show to the jury. One was filled with items investigators say once packed those pressure cookers: BBs, a zipper, nails, and other debris that tore the clothes and flesh off of some victims, and maimed and killed others.
Jurors also saw what's left of one of the infamous Tsarnaev backpacks that were left near the finish line. Torn to shreds of black and white fabric, it's barely recognizable as a backpack.
Jurors also got a look at other evidence: the clothes worn by bombing survivor Jessica Kensky when the bombs exploded. On Monday she told the jury how she literally caught fire when the blast went off and how strangers helped put her out.
