Judge is calling it a day. Trial will continue 9 a.m. Tuesday. Thanks for following today. 

Steines: He collected bag of evidence take off Donahue and turned it over to another officer. 

He took Donahue to sheriff's office. He didn't interview him. 

Donahue lays face down on the road when officers give him commands. They have guns drawn as they approach him.  

Steines: He was involved in arrest of Donahue. He was walking along the roadway on Aldridge Road. He was wearing black clothing, no shoes, black socks. His clothes were dirty - like someone had come out of a field.

They will play video from dash cam of the arrest.   

Video is over. 

Steines: The track ended at Aldridge Rd. Bingo focused on indentation in grassy area.

He heard other officers and dog were coming. They would be fresh dogs and Bingo was tired. Panting more than sniffing.  

Steines: No way to know what happened. But dogs have difficulty tracking when they reach a street or highway. It was also windy that night. Bingo became tired and was panting and may not have been able to sniff as well. 

He had a body cam activated that night. They are going to play video from the body cam. 

Steines: Bingo detected an odor of the suspect through background of residence and then into a field. When they got to Aldridge Road, the track turned to a patch of grass about 3 ft tall. Bingo had change in behavior when he got to a patche of grass was laying down, consistent with a human lying down.

Bingo then lost the track beyond that. 

Steines: Bingo is certified to detect drugs, tracking humans and search buildings. 

He got to Casey's about 10:26 p.m. He knew Halverson was on scene. He knew Oltmann was on his way. Given info about suspicious person, waering ski mask,  driving tan or gray van early June 20. 

He then learned Omar was in pursuit of the suspect on Third St. by a bridge, where suspect vehicle crash. 

Omar was waiting for Steines, so Bingo could track of suspect.    

Linn Co Sheriff's Dep. Derek Steines takes the stand. He is a K-9 handler. His dog is Bingo.  

We are back

Omar is excused. Judge calls for break. Be back at 3:10 p.m.

H. Omar: Larger forehead description, receding hairline may have led to him thinking the suspect may have been bald.

 

H. Omar: There was only one suspect in the robbery and shooting. They never thought there was more than one suspect. 

H. Omar under cross: Report of someone crossing road on Hwy 13, near Monticello Rd., couldn't have been suspect in van. Doesn't know who made that report.

2:14 a.m. report of cows making a lot of noise on Balder Rd. He thought someone might be walking through cows. 

Omar under cross: K-9 dog never led to Donahue. 

H. Omar under cross: He saw him for about two seconds. At one time, he thought suspect was bald. 

He never was shown a photo line up or in person.

    

Photo of car shows no passenger was in the car. 

H. Omar: He is 100 percent sure the suspect was Donahue. He had short hair, large forehead and he remembers the way Donahue looked at him. 

 

Showing dash cam video from H. Omar's car. 

  

H. Omar: The suspect steered to the right into a grassy area. His lights and siren were activated. He continued north on Third St. Drove through stop signs.

He went around road closed sign. There were also cement blocks on each side of bridge. It was 25 mph in this area. Speed reached 60-70 mph during pursuit. 

He crashed van into second set of cement blocks. He got out of vehicle and fled. Suspect continued north by residence and went behind where Omar loss sight of him. 

Omar stayed there and waited for K-9 officer, so his dog could pick up scent.  

H. Omar: He saw a gray minivan with no headlights and activated his emergency assistance. It matched Halverson's and Oltmann's description.

He was trying to cut off the van and stopped him. The suspect drove around him. He saw the driver and there wasn't a passenger. 

He saw the person's face, eyes and his clothing. He made eye contact with him.

Omar identifies Donahue in court.    

Linn Co Sheriff's Dep Heath Omar takes the stand. 

He responded to Casey's after 10 p.m. from outside Troy Mills, about 7 miles from Coggon.

He received info from Oltmann that a suspicious person, Black male in a black hoodie, was Casey's earlier that day before they were open. 

He also know Halverson was responding. 

 

Smith is excused. 

Smith under cross: Donahue cooperated with deputies. He was walking down the middle of Aldridge Road in Coggon.  

Smith: They arrested Donahue about 12:40 p.m. June 21, 2021. He was wearing all black clothes. He was arrested without incident. 

He was searched. He had large amount of cash, change, cigarettes and lighter.

Showing photos of the items.  

 

 

 

Smith: Dispatched about 11 p.m. to the robbery and shooting. Established large perimeter, covering 2 mile area, based on where suspect had fled. Wanted to keep out others from going in the area. 

They stopped handful of cars throughout the night. Didn't detain anyone. Nobody was found in properties in this area. 

  

Linn County Sheriff's Lt. Chris Smith takes the stand.  

We are back.  

Judge calls for lunch break. be back at 1:30 p.m.

Oltmann is excused. 

Oltmann under cross: Jared Foye said he arrived after shooting at Casey's. 

Found drops of blood in hallway and beverage coolers - away from Halverson. Blood could have been from suspect, customers, employees. 

 

Oltmann: He assisted with search effort for suspect for an hour or two. 

Photos of deformed bullet, shell casings, intact bullet on top of Halverson's vest, Bullet hole on wall to left of front door. 

In body cam video, Oltmann is taking photos at the scene. 

He goes back and lets out the two clerks and gets information from them.

Video ends. 

While at store, he saw both cash registers were opened. He reviewed surveillance video with store manager. That's when he also looked at video from earlier that morning of suspicious person.  

Oltmann: Starts yelling Where is he at. Where is he. Will, will, will. Where are you shot. 

Halverson is crying out in pain as Oltmann applies tourniquet. It's obvious Halverson is having intense pain as he yells out. 

Oltmann cuts of his duty belt and other clothing, looking for injuries. He applies chest seal to Halverson's side, back injury.

He clears store and found clerks in cooler. 

Oltmann reports on the radio that suspect took Halverson's gun and fled scene. 

 

Oltmann had his body cam activated at the time. They are showing that video to the jurors.  

Oltmann: He put a chest seal on him - a plastic adhesive bandage. 

Paramedics arrived. 

He found two clerks in the cooler - Jacob and Maddie - who testified Friday.

They were anxious and told him what happened. They described suspect as Black male, 5-foot-10, 250 lbs. 

He found .40 caliber shell casings, bullet on vest and another bullet not intact. 

He also took photos at the scene.   

Oltmann: He heard Halverson was on scene. He arrived around 10:30. 

Jared Foye, a homeless man was holding door open for him. 

When he arrived, Halverson was lying face down inside front door. He saw blood on shirt and leg. He was conscious and breathing, talking to him. Halverson said he had been shot in the left leg.

Oltmann cut off his clothes and dury belt. He could see left leg wound. He put a tourniquet on his leg. Two impact wounds on vest. He continued to look for injuries.    

Linn County Sheriff's Dep. Matt Oltmann takes the stand. 

Oltmann: He was dispatched about 4 am that day about a suspicious person. He watched surveillance video and it showed a gray or tan Dodge van and saw a person walk up to the door.  

He told officers, when was arriving to the robbery, about the van from earlier that morning. 

Halverson, when he arrived, reported over the radio there was a gray parked outside.   

Halverson is excused. 

Halverson: Formal line ups aren't always used in investigations.

He has no doubt that Donahue is the person who shot him. As certain today as day it happened. 

He thought about Donahue's face a lot that day but hasn't much thought about it since.

He saw a "coldness" in Donahue's eyes.  

Halverson: He saw Donahue's face when he first opened the door.

 

Halverson under cross: His surgery didn't take place that night he was taken to hospital. 

Donahue was a stranger to him. Hadn't seen him before. 

 

 

Halverson: When Donahue was trying to take his gun, Halverson told him 'Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me.' 

Donahue didn't shoot him with Halverson's gun.   

We are back. 

Judge is calling for recess. The defense is setting up a video. Be back at 10 a.m.  

Halverson under cross: He wasn't shown photos of Donahue and other similar individuals to have him identify the shooter.  Or identify Donahue in an in person line up. 

Halverson: He was able to see Donahue's face and look into his eyes. 

He is 100 percent sure Donahue is the person who shot him. 

Halverson: He returned to work after January 2022. Worked in the jail and then went back to patrol in March or April. 

He still has issues. Mostly lower back and leg pain. Sharp, stinging pain. 

If he didn't have vest on the shots would have hit his stomach, kidney, lung and liver.

 

Halverson: He couldn't walk for 6 months. He rushed his recovery time. He broke screw in leg because he pushed himself. Without a cane, he took him 6 or 7 months. 

Had weekly rehabilitation. When he first ran, he had to learn how to do it. 

Halverson becomes emotional as he talks about this. 

It took about 12 months to run again.     

 

Halverson: His injuries - broken leg femur, fractured vertebrae, lung damage, both hips fractured, skull fracture, damage to torso. He was shot seven times. 

Showing photos of his wounds post surgery. 

Three abdomen wounds, one is contact wound - where his vest covered. 

Back wound on left side, which was also covered by protective vest.

Upper mid right thigh - through and through bullet injury.

Bullet hit his right hip, also damaged his duty belt. He still has fragments in hip. 

Had screws placed in his left knee.

Had surgery to place a rod in his  left femur. Halverson said he has some pain in his leg. His left leg is shorter than right. He will have lower back pain, more arthritis.    

Halverson: He carries a .40 caliber Glock. 

They are showing photos of the gun and his duty belt.

 

Halverson: He couldn't feel leg. Had intense pain. It felt like it wasn't there. 

Paramedics got him in ambulance and then air lifted him to Iowa City. He was given pain meds and doesn't remember much. 

 

Halverson: He doesn't recall a lot of the radio traffic, when he was lying on floor after being shot, except for Dep. Matt Oltmann asking if anyone had heard from him. He couldn't communicate with them.

A homeless man, Mr. Foy, was there and asked if he was OK. Halverson doesn't actually talking to him.  

Oltmann got there and was checking for wounds. Had wound in left lower thigh. He put a tourniquet on him. 

Paramedics then arrived. 

Good morning! The trial will get started in a few minutes. Dep William Halverson will resume his testimony from Friday.