VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.(WAVY) — A number of witnesses took the stand on Wednesday to testify in the trial of a man charged with attempting to kill a Virginia Beach police detective.
Bryan Cage, 50, is charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer, malicious wounding of an officer, 100 counts of possession of child pornography, and drug charges, among many more.
As part of an 11-month-long child pornography investigation, police were executing a search warrant in June 2017. Cage lived in an apartment above a garage on Ohio Avenue. When police reached the top of the stairs, they saw Cage, who allegedly fired dozens of shots. One detective was shot in the shoulder and wounded.
That detective, Ryan Sweeney, took the stand on Tuesday and recalled his memories of the day. He also testified about the permanent injuries he sustained from the shooting.
In Tuesday’s opening statements, Cage’s defense attorney Diane Toscano said that Cage did not shoot Sweeney, and instead he was shot by fellow officers who were “shooting wildly and using reckless and aggressive police tactics.”
On Wednesday, prosecutors brought radiologist Dr. Todd Berry to the stand as an expert witness to discuss his findings of Sweeny’s CT scans and X-rays.
Berry told jurors that the bullet fragments did not seem consistent with the type of ammo officers use. He also told the jury that the injuries Sweeney sustained — a fractured scapula, a fractured clavicle, pulmonary contusions, and a posterior shoulder dislocation — would have more likely been obtained from someone firing in front of Sweeney and not behind him.
At the time of the shooting, Sweeney was leading a group of detectives and officers up the stairs of Cage’s garage apartment.
Berry also told the jury Sweeney’s injury, a posterior shoulder dislocation, is rare among shoulder dislocations and is usually caused by electrocution, seizures, car crashes, or gunshot wounds.
Three detectives with Virginia Beach Police also took the stand to recount their recollection of the June 2017 incident.
A supervisory forensics technician also went over the evidence she collected at the scene, which included weapons from officers, a camo vest and a Beretta found in Cage’s apartment, as well as bullet holes throughout the walls and floorboards of the apartment.
The trial continues Thursday morning.
