Jurors view video recording of slain officer’s shooting

Published 12:20 pm Monday, May 9, 2011

By BRAD GASKINS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – Jurors in Bart Johnson’s capital murder trial viewed Monday morning a recording from the dashboard cam from slain Pelham police officer Philip Davis’ police cruiser.

The video began with Davis pulling Johnson over on Interstate 65 for going 76 mph in a 55 mph zone, and ended with Davis being shot and emergency responders at the scene.

The TV monitor was angled to allow jurors – but not the majority of others in the courtroom – to see.

The video was played just before court recessed for lunch. The state will rest its case when court resumes this afternoon. The defense will call its first witness.

Davis was shot Dec. 3, 2009 and died from a single gunshot wound to the left side of his face, the state’s senior medical examiner said.

Dr. Alfredo Paredes testified that the bullet entered Davis’ face between the nose and upper lip. The bullet, he said, fractured face bones and teeth and fragmented upon striking Davis’ spinal cord.

Davis also had lacerations on the back of his head, the result of falling backwards after being shot, Paredes said.