By Brenna Angel
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-973745.mp3
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Several colleagues of Officer Bryan Durman, the Lexington police officer killed in the line of duty last year, took the witness stand Thursday. It marked day two of testimony in the Glenn Doneghy murder trial.
When Durman requested backup to assist with his call on a noise complaint the night of April 29, 2010, Officer Teri Gover (GOH'-ver) responded. By the time she arrived on the scene, she discovered Durman had been struck in a hit and run crash.
"I rolled him over onto his back and I was yelling at him. I was slapping him trying to get some kind of response, trying to get him to respond. And he was not responding," Gover testified.
Defense attorney Kate Dunn then asked Gover how well she could see that night.
"Are you saying it was that light out there when you showed up?"
"Ms. Dunn, I don't remember anything about the lighting. It was dark because it was 10:00 and I don't know."
Officer Eric Chumley also responded to the scene and testified Thursday.
"As I made my way around the car I observed a Class A uniform similar to the one that I'm wearing - exactly as to what I'm wearing. I immediately recognized it to be Officer Bryan Durman and uh... "
Chumley had to pause and collect himself before continuing with testimony Thursday.
Officer C.J. Mason told the jury that he felt an immediate need to help his friend.
"I remember looking at Officer Grimm, who was standing there too. And I was like 'What the hell?' I said, 'What is this?'"
Witnesses recalled how they administered CPR before Durman was rushed to the hospital and declared dead.
The defense has said that Officer Durman was careless in how he handled the noise complaint. He was not wearing a reflective vest as he stood in the roadway to question a person. But Chumley says Durman followed police protocol.
"It's not practical for me to pull up [and] be concerned about putting on a reflective vest when there's potentially a subject that could be possessing a weapon. I don't know what their intentions are."