King Soopers shooting trial continues as officers take the stand: "I was probably going to lose my life"
Law enforcement officers from Boulder and other jurisdictions testified on Tuesday in the trial of Ahmad Alissa, the gunman who admitted to his role in the March 2021 King Soopers shooting.
Jurors will determine if Alissa was sane at the time of the attack, which killed 10 people, including Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley.
Several officers shared emotional accounts of the terrifying events.
"I thought I wasn't going to make it home that day," said Boulder Police Officer Jenny Schmitz.
Schmitz just a week into her field training, described entering the store and seeing Talley's body.
"I just remember that it was a person in a pool of blood," said Schmitz.
Other responders, including Officer Bryan Plyter and a Boulder Open Space Ranger Samuel Kilburn, recalled facing life-threatening moments as they worked to stop the shooter.
Plyter was part of the second wave of first responders to enter the store. Plyter entered the store behind a shield thinking he was going to lose his life.
"I made the decision that I was probably going to lose my life going into this store. I thought about my child and how I may never see him again," said Plyter.
Kilburn described the chaos as shots were fired, shattering glass above the officers and first responders.
"Next thing I know, my face is covered in glass, and my face and eyes are cut up," he said.
Kilburn was part of the group of first responders helping to evacuate people from the back of the store.
"There was a lot of emotion going on, people were hiding," Kilburn said. "We were trying to remove people from the store and still didn't know where the shooter was."
Alissa would point his rifle at officers once again, moments later it would be Boulder Police Officer Richard Steidell who would strike Alissa in the leg, which then led to his arrest.
"I wish I had a rifle that day," said Steidell. "I had my handgun, I felt outgunned."
Alissa pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity; he's now facing several charges including 10 counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors aim to prove he was sane the day of the shooting.
