Bill Brannon — Direct/Cross
110 linesMS. DUGAN: One very brief witness.
JUDGE EVERETT: Please call your witness.
MS. DUGAN: The State calls Bill Brannon.
JUDGE EVERETT: Officer, please raise your hand. Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth?
BILL BRANNON: I do.
JUDGE EVERETT: You may take your seat.
JUDGE EVERETT: Please speak loudly and clearly.
MS. DUGAN: Will you introduce yourself to the jury and spell your name for the court reporter, please?
BILL BRANNON: I'm Officer Brannon, number 510, with the Tallahassee Police Department. B-R-A-N-N-O-N.
MS. DUGAN: And where do you — you said you work at TPD.
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: And how long have you been with TPD?
BILL BRANNON: 26 years, and I was with FSU PD for a couple years prior to that.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. Now, did you respond to a crime scene on Trescott Drive on July 18th of 2014?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: And what time did you arrive?
BILL BRANNON: Approximately 11:15.
MS. DUGAN: When you arrived, was EMS and some other TPD officers already there?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. Was your role maintaining a crime scene perimeter that day on Trescott Drive?
BILL BRANNON: That was one of the roles, yes.
MS. DUGAN: Tell me about that. What does maintaining a crime scene perimeter mean?
BILL BRANNON: Just keeping people out, redirecting traffic.
MS. DUGAN: Okay, so are you putting up crime scene tape, then?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: Okay, and making sure nobody comes in there or out, no cars come through?
BILL BRANNON: Correct.
MS. DUGAN: So where was the crime scene tape on Trescott Drive that you were located next to?
BILL BRANNON: I was a little ways north of the incident location on Trescott.
MS. DUGAN: Okay, I — I want to — when you were next to the crime scene tape, were you seated in your marked vehicle?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: And at that time, looking south, down towards the incident location, was there EMS and marked police cars there in front of the Markel residence at the time?
BILL BRANNON: EMS had already left the scene by the time I was in that position, but there were investigators, other officers, and crime scene units.
MS. DUGAN: Okay, and when I say "marked," as in your car's marked and their cars are marked like TPD insignia — what we would typically see is a police car?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. Did I show you before court today a map that is marked as State's Exhibit 87?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: And was that map a true and accurate depiction of where you were stationed that day and of Trescott Drive and of the Markel residence on that road?
BILL BRANNON: I believe so.
MS. DUGAN: Judge, at this time, I'd move into evidence State's Exhibit 87.
MS. FULFORD: No objection.
JUDGE EVERETT: State's 87 is admitted.
MS. DUGAN: Okay, so looking here at this map, is this Thomasville Road right here?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: Where I'm pointing? Okay. And is this Orange Arrow — ABC Liquors?
BILL BRANNON: I believe so.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. This is Benton Road?
BILL BRANNON: Yep.
MS. DUGAN: All right. And then is this road over here Centerville Road?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: And the hospital would be somewhere in this area, correct? Okay. So this yellow line — is this yellow line Trescott Drive?
BILL BRANNON: Yes, ma'am.
MS. DUGAN: And does the blue arrow show where the Markel residence, 2116 Trescott Drive, was?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: Can you show me where you were located, next to the crime scene tape, making sure no cars came by the crime scene?
BILL BRANNON: Approximately where the little yellow marking was, right there.
MS. DUGAN: Okay, right where it says "roadblock"?
BILL BRANNON: Yep.
MS. DUGAN: With the arrow. Okay. Um, now, from where you were stationed here at the crime scene tape, could you clearly see all of the marked police cars in front of the Trescott residence?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. And your marked police car was right there where we see the arrow as well, correct?
BILL BRANNON: Correct.
MS. DUGAN: All right. If I'm turning onto Trescott Drive from Centerville Road, would I be able to see any of the activity over here from here, or from this area on Trescott Drive?
BILL BRANNON: No, not back over there.
MS. DUGAN: And is that because the road curves around or winds around?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: While you were stationed there, did any vehicles approach your location on Trescott, encounter the roadblock, and have to turn around?
BILL BRANNON: Yes, several vehicles.
BILL BRANNON: Mid-2000s maroon or dark red Honda Odyssey van.
MS. DUGAN: And are you familiar with that make and model and the year of van?
BILL BRANNON: Yes. My family still — we actually still use it; my son uses it — 2006 Honda Odyssey.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. So at the time your family owned the same van?
BILL BRANNON: Correct.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. And you said it was maroon in color, the one you saw that day?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: At the time, did you know that the ex-wife of the person who was killed drove that type of van?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: All right. I'm going to show you what's already been admitted as State's Exhibit 18.
MS. DUGAN: Was this vehicle consistent with the one you saw that day that turned at the roadblock?
BILL BRANNON: Yes.
MS. DUGAN: Were you able to see the driver of the van?
BILL BRANNON: No.
MS. DUGAN: Now, about what time did the vehicle approach the roadblock?
BILL BRANNON: Approximately one o'clock, somewhere in that range.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. I think — did you say between 12 and one somewhere?
BILL BRANNON: Okay, uh, but don't know exactly the minute that it approached.
MS. DUGAN: Okay. Was there anything unusual about the way the vehicle — or I guess the driver of the vehicle — behaved when the vehicle encountered the roadblock that stood out to you?
BILL BRANNON: Uh, it just — it wasn't fast or anything, but it was just a little more deliberate in pulling up, turning around, and leaving. Uh, the other vehicles — which is consistent with other times I've had to block roads — when vehicles pull up, they kind of stop and they're processing, like, well, I can't go this way, and trying to think, well, where do I got to go now, etc. So this one didn't squeal tires or anything like that, but, I mean, it was in and out — so just less hesitation.
MS. DUGAN: Correct. Uh, did the driver of the vehicle ask you any questions?
BILL BRANNON: No.
MS. DUGAN: Um, did they — did the driver of the vehicle question anybody else, any other officers there at the roadblock?
BILL BRANNON: Not where I was.
MS. DUGAN: They just turned around and went back towards Centerville?
BILL BRANNON: Yes, ma'am.
MS. DUGAN: That's all. Thank you.
JUDGE EVERETT: Cross-examination.
MS. FULFORD: No questions, Judge.
JUDGE EVERETT: Officer, you may step down.
JUDGE EVERETT: Is the officer released, or will he be recalled?
MS. DUGAN: Sir?
JUDGE EVERETT: Is the officer released, or will he be recalled?
MS. DUGAN: He is released.
JUDGE EVERETT: Thank you. Have a good day.
BILL BRANNON: Thanks, sir.
JUDGE EVERETT: Members of the jury, we are going to come to a rest for this evening. Once again, I'm going to remind you: do not discuss this case with each other or anyone else. Do not seek out any information or news reports about this case at all. As well, please report tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. and we intend to get started at nine o'clock once everyone is here. Have a restful evening. We will see you in the morning.
JUDGE EVERETT: All right. Brief discussion of tomorrow — the witnesses that were supposed to be PM, are they now going to be our AM witnesses, state, for tomorrow morning?
MS. DUGAN: Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE EVERETT: All right, very well. Parties, need there to be heard before we go?
MS. DUGAN: There was one thing. Can we approach about it, though?
JUDGE EVERETT: Yes.