Video: Don Carpenter (Bryan Cambell Defends Client’s racist testimony)
Arguments, outbursts, defiance towards the plaintiff, and racist testimony today.
Officer Michael Saldutte took the stand and immediately began arguing with Miles attorney Joel Sansone over statements he made to the FBI in 2010, as well as to the OMI.
Sansone tried to warm up by lightly discussing Saldutte’s background in martial arts, Krav Maga, his being an instructor in law enforcement pressure point tactics, and his involvement in powerlifting and submission wrestling competitions. This prompted mass objections by the defense and a side bar, but Judge Cercone let Sansone continue.
Saldutte became enraged and belligerent after a few questions, prompting Judge Cercone to order the officer to answer the questions.
As Sansone’s examination of Saldutte continued, the officer began demanding and ordering Jordan’s attorney to be more specific in his questions, to stop twisting his words, and allow him to elaborate on simple yes or no questions with a bunch of information that was not needed.
Saldutte eventually began complaining to the judge on the stand about the line of questioning and began a heated argument with Sansone from the stand.
A visibly irritated judge then ordered Saldutte for the third time to “just answer the questions.”
Sansone, also heated at this point, began to ask Officer Saldutte about his statements to the FBI. Saldutte would spend the next two hours complaining that the FBI got it all wrong. Sansone then began reading Saldutte his own statements to the FBI, regarding how he enjoyed undercover duty because it was less risky than uniformed duty, and that being on a 99 car detail gives officers the advantage of getting as close as possible to subjects without being detected.
“The benefit of the 99 detail is that you can get real close to suspects and, by the time they realize you’re a cop, it’s too late.” Saldutte’s statement to the FBI read.
An interesting revelation in the FBI report was that the FBI interrogated Saldutte about the alleged gun clip spotted by Monica Wooding on her property, that later disappeared. The FBI was curious if Officer Sisak had lost a gun clip that night along with his flashlight and handcuffs. The handcuffs were later recovered by Officer Ewing.
The FBI agents asked Saldutte whether Sisak had mentioned or denied losing a gun clip among his other duty items. The FBI report further stated that Saldutte told investigators that the three officers didn’t do anything significant on January 12, 2010, making no arrests except Jordan.
Saldutte began getting argumentative again, denying he stated this to the FBI, and that once again the FBI got it wrong.
Judge Cercone would once again order the officer for a fourth time to “just answer the questions.”
Upon further questioning, as to whether the officers identified themselves that night, Saldutte yelled as he pointed to (and mentioned) Officers Ewing and Sisak that they had their badges out and identified themselves when they approached Jordan.
“I said ‘Pittsburgh Police, what are you doing between those houses?’, ‘Pittsburgh Police, stop!’, ‘Pittsburgh Police, stop resisting’, and ‘Pittsburgh Police, you’re under arrest.’” Saldutte testified.
Saldutte did admit that turning the badge behind his neck was an excellent way to conceal his identity as a police officer.
Saldutte would loudly testify that, “He (Jordan) was never walking down the street, and was acting suspicious.”
Sansone once again referenced the FBI report and responded to Saldutte’s contradictions with, “You mean the FBI got it wrong again?” Saldutte and all the lawyers in the case began arguing in open court, prompting Judge Cercone to hold another sidebar.
To this day, Saldutte claims Miles had a gun, and that somehow they missed the gun in Homewood back in 2010.
When further probed about Miles’ injuries and how OMI couldn’t believe it took 3 officers to subdue Miles, Saldutte proclaimed. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“You mean this isn’t a big deal?” Sansone asked as he held up a picture of the brutalized Miles from 2010. “Yeah go ahead pull that up,” Saldutte sarcastically fired back.
“He did it to himself by fighting with us,” Saldutte said, before the lawyers began arguing again.
Following a lunch break, a much calmer Officer Saldutte retook the stand to be cross-examined by FOP attorney Bryan Campbell. In typical Campbell fashion, he opened of with the Use of Force Continuum, and then had Saldutte walk the jury through his police report from that night, as well as a use of force report explaining the levels of force each officer used to subdue and arrest Miles.
Saldutte recycled his account of the night of 2010 from the first trial and explained that he and the other two officers performed a diligent search “for Miles’ gun”, but never found it. Saldutte would also go on to counter officers Sisak’s and Ewing’s story that Jordan’s alleged bottle of Mountain Dew was empty. Saldutte maintained it was a full bottle and felt hard.
Before the lunch break, trying to undermine Jordan’s version of events, in which he did not recognize the officers were cops, Saldutte exclaimed, “What else would three white guys be doing in Homewood if they weren’t cops?”
Saldutte would then put a full bottle of Mountain Dew into the inside pocket of Jordan’s jacket from the night in question, to demonstrate the supposed bulge he saw in Miles’ coat.
Testimony would end for the day with Pittsburgh police Commander Brackney beginning to tell the jury in detail about police procedure, report protocols, and more.
