He is the only witness to be in court watching the proceedings every day since the trial began. Today, Paul Patrick got his chance to testify.
Patrick was shot on the night of June 8, 2006 while walking near an auto repair shop at 78th Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoeix. “I heard a loud bang and felt a great deal of pain,” Patrick testified this morning. “I spun around and hit the ground hard — on my belly.”
On its own, Patrick’s testimony does not stand out among the dozens of crimes authorities have tied to Serial Shooter suspect Dale Hausner, who is on trial for the crime spree. Like many of the other victims, he was alone. It was nighttime. He was walking on the side of the street on his way to nowhere in particular.
But the 48-year-old Patrick could prove to be a compelling figure for the jury. Day after day, he comes into the courtroom with the help of a motorized wheelchair. He can walk, but he hobbles when he does so. It’s painful to stand or walk, he testified. He also comes to the sixth-floor courtroom every day with his mother at his side. Together, they sit stoically in the first row, just behind the prosecutors. They listen to the testimony of others, as they have done with nearly 80 witnesses in the trial so far, and they sometimes nod because they can relate.
“I was in intensive care for 19 straight days,” Patrick said on the stand. “Then I was transfered for St. Luke’s (Hospital) for another three weeks or a month. I can’t remember.” He had multiple surgeries in the months following his shooting, including the removal of most of his colon.
Before today, none of the jurors knew why Patrick was in the courtroom every day. After today, he will be a constant reminder of the pain caused by the 14-month string of shootings.
Map shows the location where Paul Patrick was shot the night of June 8, 2006. Click here for a larger, interactive map.
Note: This post originally said Patrick was 36 years old. He is, in fact, 48.
