Witnesses Describe Oakland Journalist's Murder At Trial
OAKLAND (CBS / AP) - An Oakland police officer on Tuesday recalled his gruesome discovery after journalist Chauncey Bailey was shot and killed in broad daylight nearly four years ago.
"He was missing part of his face, his head," Oakland police Officer Trent Thompson testified during the second day of two men on trial accused of killing Bailey.
Tuesday's testimony gave jurors a snapshot of the moments before and after the Oakland post editor was gunned down in downtown Oakland on Aug. 2, 2007. More was expected on Wednesday.
Former Your Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusef Bey IV and co-defendant Antoine Mackey, both 25, are accused of murder in the case.
KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:
The suspects also are being tried in the July 2007 murders of two other men, Odell Roberson, Jr., 31, and Michael Wills, 36.
Bailey, 57, had been investigating the once-influential and now-defunct nonprofit bakery's financial woes and infighting when he was killed.
Bey is accused of ordering the killings. Mackey is accused of killing Wills, driving the getaway van in Bailey's death, and assisting with Roberson's death.
Prosecutors said Bey gave orders to kill Roberson, a homeless drug addict who frequented the neighborhood because Roberson's nephew killed Bey's brother, who preceded Bey as the bakery's leader after their father's death.
Mackey is accused of gunning down Wills, a chef and musician, because he was white, shortly after Mackey and Bey had a conversation about the Zebra murders, a string of racially motivated black-on-white killings in San Francisco in the 1970s.
On Tuesday, Bey's lawyer Gene Peretti and Mackey's attorney Gary Sirbu opted not to give opening statements to the jury. Sirbu later said they would likely give statements after the prosecution rests.
Witness Jia Hong Zhou, 67, testified through a Cantonese translator that he was standing outside his job at an adult day health care center when he saw a masked gunman in dark clothing fire two shots that sounded like firecrackers at another man at close range on August 2, 2007.
"Pow! Pow!" Zhou recalled, pointing his finger as if he was holding a gun.
Zhou said he then saw the gunman take about five steps away before stopping and returning to fire one last shot at the victim.
The gunman then hopped in a white van that sped off, Zhou testified.
Sirbu later asked Zhou if he was absolutely certain about the sequence of events.
"Yes. I am certain," Zhou responded.
Zhou's account is somewhat similar to the April 2009 grand jury testimony of confessed gunman Devaughndre Broussard, who struck a plea deal and is expected to testify Thursday.
Broussard, now 23, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will be sentenced to 25 years in prison in exchange for his testimony.
Broussard also confessed to killing Roberson.
Broussard previously testified that he was dressed in black and wore a mask when he shot a stunned Bailey on a downtown street.
Broussard said he had already shot Bailey twice when he recalled how Bey had preached about being focused during the attack.
"I'm like, let me make sure," Broussard told the grand jury. "I ran back, pointed at his head ... 'Bam!,' and I broke."
Prosecutor Melissa Krum said Broussard's testimony is expected to be lengthy and he could be on the witness stand for four to eight days.
On Monday, Peretti told reporters that Broussard was lying.
"He's completely inconsistent with his tale," Peretti said. "I think the jury is going to see he's a liar."
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon, who is presiding over the case, told jurors on Monday that he's hopeful that the trial can be completed in about three months.
"My fondest hope is that we will be done by June 15," Reardon said.
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