Washington D.C. police officer Brian Trainer is petitioning for his job after killing unarmed motorist Terrence Sterling in a 2016 traffic stop.
Trainer stood in front of the D.C. police trial board on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the three charges he faces. In September 2016, Trainer killed the 31-year-old victim following a chase and traffic stop. The officer claimed he feared for his life, but an investigation revealed he wasn't telling the truth.
According to Fox 5 D.C., many of Trainer's actions surrounding the shooting were controversial. The officer reportedly did not follow D.C. police protocol for pursuing vehicles during traffic violations. Trainer also did not turn on his body camera until after the shooting.
A witness, Howard Dorsey, told the trial board that he saw Sterling's bike make contact with the police cruiser.
“I was just parked at a red light. The bike came up on my left-hand side," he said. "He was walking the bike and he got in front of me and that is when the police cruiser came in a matter of seconds and he leaned off to the left. When he leaned off to the left and started going, he tapped the door because I remember seeing the door partially open and shots were fired.”
Trainer told the trial board that his leg was pinned between the car and the bike, but investigators questioned that because they believe both of his legs would have sustained injuries. His camera being off adds more suspicion.
Since the shooting, Trainer has been placed on paid administrative leave. Investigators determined in December that the shooting was unjustified, and Sterling's family received a $3.5 million settlement from a civil suit against the city in February.
