PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — The seventh day of testimony in the Curtis Reeves theater shooting trial included jurors hearing statements that seemed to contradict previous witness statements.
What You Need To Know
- Chad Oulson's actions before shooting at center of Tuesday testimony
- Reeves, 79, faces life in prison if convicted
- On Monday, jurors also heard from Vivian Reeves, the defendant's wife
- BELOW: Courtroom updates from Spectrum Bay News 9's Sarah Blazonis
Reeves, 79, is facing charges of second-degree murder and aggravated battery and could spend the rest of his life in jail if found guilty in the 2014 shooting of Chad Oulson.
Reeves' defense team is arguing that Reeves shot Oulson in self-defense.
Oulson's cell phone has been central to this case. That includes the question about whether he threw it at Reeves in the moments before the shooting.
A number of witnesses told the court they never saw anything being thrown. But one woman said Tuesday she remembers seeing something different as Oulson stood facing Reeves.
Defense attorney Richard Escobar asked Joanna Turner, “Would you agree or disagree that you saw this tall gentleman with either a cup or a mug or a thermos in his hand, dark in color, making a throwing motion towards that back row with his left hand?"
After a brief objection by attorneys and overrule by the judge, Turner said, “Yes, I did.”
On cross examination, Turner said she didn't actually see an object thrown, and that she doesn't think it was a cell phone she saw in Oulson's hand.
Jurors also heard from others in the theater that day.
One woman testified she was at the service counter when Reeves came to report Oulson for using his phone during movie previews.
Both she and the general manager who took Reeves’ complaint told the prosecution that Reeves didn't act like he had an urgent problem or say Oulson cursed at him.
"Next thing I recall was that somebody came running out of the theater and said, 'He shot him, he shot him - call 911,’” said Cobb Theatre manager Thomas Peck.
Earlier testimony indicated that Cobb Theater corporate collected the theater's hard drives that night and law enforcement only got access later.
Spectrum Bay News 9 reporter Sarah Blazonis is covering the trial. Follow her on Twitter or by using the Live Updates feed below.