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Recreating the movie theater shooting crime scene
Gloria Gomez reports.
DADE CITY, Fla. - Curtis Reeves will tell his side of the story to a jury Thursday morning. Sources tell Fox 13 Reeves is eager to take the stand in his own defense. Reeves testified during his stand your ground hearing in 2017. He was denied immunity.
Eight years ago, Reeves shot and killed Chad Oulson in a movie theater during an argument over texting. Reeves says it was self-defense and *now he will tell a jury.
On Wednesday, x-rays, science and re-enactments took center stage in the courtroom
Dr. Michael Knox, a criminal justice expert, recreates crime scenes for a living. He says it helps investigators, or in this case, a jury get a real-life feel for what Curtis Reeves heard and saw moments before the shooting.
"Looking at things like how far is that person, what’s the line of sight for that person, and you could also get into lighting. What did that person see? What were the lighting conditions? Things like that," explained Knox.
The defense wants to show the lighting in the theater and the shadows help shape Reeves' perception on the threat Chad Oulson posed. Dr. Knox re-enacted the lighting conditions at the theater that day and showed images of two mannequins representing Reeves and Oulson.
Reeves is accused of shooting and killing Oulson during an argument over texting in a Wesley Chapel movie theater in 2014.
RECAP: Trial of Curtis Reeves underway 8 years after deadly shooting inside Florida movie theater
Earlier, the jury heard from a radiologist who talked about Reeves’ health ailments.
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Eyewitness testimony continues in Curtis Reeves trial
While the prosecution in the Curtis Reeves trial rested its case last week, the defense continued calling witnesses Tuesday. A video forensic expert, Bruce Koenig, took the stand Tuesday morning. The jury was shown hours of an enhanced version of the surveillance video from inside the Cobb movie theater.
A video recording of Dr. Michael Foley’s testimony was played for the jury. He testified during Reeves stand your ground hearing in 2017.
The forensic radiologist said Reeves suffered from arthritis which made him frail and limited in his mobility. However, prosecutor Glenn Martin pointed out Foley never evaluated or treated Reeves and was simply making general assumptions.
"You cannot tell the judge with any degree of medical certainty exactly what Mr. Reeves knew about his physical condition?" asked Martin
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Theater shooter's wife was 'terrified' during altercation
Vivian Reeves told the jury she was sitting next to her husband when the confrontation between the two men happened.
"Correct. I have no idea I would have to interview the patient to know that. My job is to read what I see on film," explained Dr. Foley.