ST. CLOUD, Minn. - The family of slain Mendota Heights Police officer Scott Patrick marked what would have been his 48th birthday sitting in a St. Cloud courtroom looking at his accused killer.
Testimony continued Monday in the murder trial of Brian Fitch Sr., the man accused of gunning down officer Patrick during what seemed like a routine traffic stop. A sequence of police officers were called to the stand to recount details of the pursuit, shootout and apprehension of Fitch Sr. in St. Paul the night of July 30, the same day he is accused of shooting Officer Patrick.
St. Paul Police officer Timothy Bohn recalled the moments after Fitch was cornered in a vehicle on the 30 block of East Sycamore Street. Bohn told jurors that after Fitch started firing on officers he ran up to the vehicle and fired 11 shots into the passenger door, and then ran around to the front of the suspect vehicle and fired a number more through the windshield.
Fitch suffered eight gunshot wounds and 36-year-old Kelly Lee Hardy, who was in the car with Fitch, was also wounded.
Another St. Paul officer, Sergeant Don Benner, testified that he was driving behind the vehicle driven by Fitch Sr., and said he saw Fitch fire at officers first.
