A former Fort Hood police officer confronted mass shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan in court Friday, nearly four years after the last confrontation between the two.
Sergeant Kimberley Munley's squad car dash cam video was played for the jury, showing her high-speed trip to the Soldier Readiness Processing Center building on November 5, 2009.
People could be seen running toward the parking lot and taking cover behind other cars as Munley exited her cruiser in the video.
“I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people were on the edge of their seats,” said reporter Manny Fernandez, who is covering the trial for the New York Times. “The jury was sitting up at attention when they were watching that video in the screens in front of them.”
Soon after Munley left her car, rapid gunshots could be heard on the recording.
Munley said a red laser sight crossed her eyes as she fired toward the gunman.
"I go into a laying down prone position and try to use the building as cover and locate the shooter," she said.
Munley said the gunman continued shooting and ran toward her so she stood to take better aim, but was wounded three times as she continued trying to shoot back.
Then she said her gun malfunctioned.
"I see him standing over me trying to fire his weapon, as well," she said.
At that moment, Munley said Fort Hood police Sgt. Mark Todd fired the bullets that finally took the assailant down.
Asked to identify the man who shot her, Munley pointed to Hasan in the courtroom.
“He did meet her gaze and they just sort of looked at each other for a moment and then he looked down. But she kept glancing over at him,” said reporter Jeniffer Hlad with the newspaper Stars and Stripes.
Representing himself in the trial, Hasan asked Munley no questions and her testimony was over.
“She was ready for this,” said Fernandez. “Her demeanor was pretty matter of fact and straight forward. I didn’t get any sense that she was nervous at all,” he said.
Munley is no longer a police officer and she now lives in North Carolina.
She said she has undergone surgery three times after the wounds she suffered to her right hand, left knee and left thigh.
Bullet fragments removed from Munley in those surgeries were admitted as evidence at the trial. Sergeant Todd is expected to testify later.
Prosecutors have called 76 witnesses in the first two weeks of Hasan’s US Army Court Martial.
They told Judge Tara Osborn they could present as many as 25 more to finish the guilt or innocence phase of the trial.
Osborn said she would decide over the weekend how many to allow.
Hasan is accused of 13 counts of capital murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. He admitted committing the shootings in an opening trial statement but he will get to present a defense.
Hasan could face the death penalty if convicted. Additional testimony from victims and family members would come in a sentencing phase of the trial.
Friday Osborn also denied a motion filed by an attorney representing Munley and several other witnesses in the trial.
The motion sought to change instructions the judge has given to all witnesses not to discuss their testimony outside the trial.
Attorney Neal Sher claimed the orders have restricted witnesses from doing media interviews about their experiences after the shooting.
Osborn said her instruction to witnesses is standard and only a temporary restriction that expires at the end of the trial.
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