Witnesses To Shooting Of TPD Investigator Take Stand Tuesday In Capital Murder Trial

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Tuscaloosa County jury heard from eight witnesses Tuesday on the second day of the capital murder trial for Luther Bernard Watkins, Jr., the man accused of the 2019 fatal shooting of Tuscaloosa Police Investigator Dornell Cousette.

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As Patch previously reported, both sides began to lay the groundwork for their respective cases on Monday, with the prosecution insisting that Watkins murdered Cousette while the TPD officer was attempting to serve an arrest warrant, while the defense contends that Watkins acted in self-defense against an officer who was not following proper protocol.

Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy David Hanks went under cross examination by the defense to begin Tuesday's proceedings and wrapped up the previous day's discussions about photos taken at the scene of shooting on 33rd Street.

He was then followed on the stand by TPD Sgt. J.C. Bryant, who was an investigator with the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit at the time of the shooting.

Bryant testified that he was dispatched to DCH's hospital in Northport after receiving a report that Watkins was being treated for gunshot wounds immediately following news that Cousette had been shot.

At the Northport hospital, Bryant said investigators recovered five 9mm bullets and some jewelry discarded by Watkins in the hospital's parking lot after he was dropped off by Kenclomisha Hughes.

Security camera footage from the parking lot was played for the court, showing Watkins semi-wrapped in a white bed sheet, clad only in his underwear and his fanny pack.

Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office Crime Analyst Robert Alexander was the next witness called to the stand, where he briefly discussed the Securus system in the Tuscaloosa County Jail — the software system for inmates to make phone calls.

This would figure in prominently in the testimony of the next witness, TCSO Lt. Michael Hall.

Hall was an investigator in the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit in 2019 and testified that he was sent to UAB Hospital in Birmingham after Watkins was transported for additional treatment.

He then took photos of the two gunshot wounds sustained by Watkins during the exchange of gunfire with Cousette.

The prosecution also played audio from a recorded phone call Watkins made to family members after being booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail on Sept. 21, 2019.

At one point, Hall noted that Watkins commented "that bitch should've killed me."

He also said Watkins could be heard asking what Nannie Chambers had told police following the shooting. Chambers was called to the stand because she lived in the house where the shooting occurred,

Chambers responded to the question by answering "the truth."

Chambers was also asked by Watkins if police had inquired if she knew who the shooter was, to which she said "nah."

What's more, Watkins says on the call that they should put up a "No Trespassing" sign around the house, before investigators believe he implies that everyone on the outside should say he "didn't have a gun."

"I didn't shoot anybody, I was in the hospital in Northport," Watkins said on the call.

Nevertheless, investigators pointed out that Watkins, on the same call, told family members to go get "the stick" — slang for a gun — and mentioning 18th Street, where the gun was later recovered after Hall had listened in to the call from the county jail.

In another surprising move during Hall's extensive time on the witness stand Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Brad Almond also ruled that Facebook photos of Watkins prior to the shooting could be admitted as evidence.

As Patch previously reported, a hearing in January consisted primarily of arguments over Facebook posts made by Watkins that prosecutors said established that he was "habitually armed" in the time leading up to the shooting. Prosecutors have argued this would have given Cousette a reason to believe that deadly force might be necessary to apprehend him while serving the arrest warrant.

These Facebook pictures were shown to the jury Tuesday, with most depicting Watkins brandishing firearms in posts accompanied by rap lyrics. In one photo, he's wearing body armor.

Judge Almond reminded the jury that the photos were admitted as evidence and published in court so the jury could consider Cousette's knowledge and intent when approaching Watkins.

Jurors were also shown screenshots of messages sent to Watkins that indicated he would have been aware of the numerous outstanding warrants for robbery and second-degree assault. Another screenshot purported to show a relative tipping off Watkins that the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force was in the area, further underscoring that Watkins would've known he was a wanted man.

TCSO Captain Marcus Bell, who was an investigator in the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit in 2019, was the next witness called to the stand and discussed how he was sent to DCH Regional Medical Center after Cousette was transported from the scene on 33rd Street.

Bell said that Cousette was still alive when he arrived at the Tuscaloosa hospital and that he was there when Cousette was pronounced dead.

Bell was tasked with taking photos of Cousette, collecting evidence such as his clothes and also helped process Cousette's body to be transported to the medical examiner for autopsy.

"I didn't think it was right for TPD to bag their own," he testified.

After leaving DCH Regional Medical Center, Bell returned to the Sheriff's Office and then located the two witnesses, including Hughes, who had transported Watkins to the hospital in Northport.

He was also informed by Lt. Hall about the conversation he overheard on the Tuscaloosa County Jail where Watkins seemed to indicate a location for the gun that shot Cousette.

Bell testified that he knew 18th Street was where the two women that drove Watkins to the hospital lived, so he went to investigate and ultimately found a Hi-Point brand 9mm handgun in a detached pickup truck tool box behind Hughes' home.

In the second half of the trial day, testimony shifted from law enforcement to witnesses who were at the house when the shooting occurred.

Dominique Thomas, who lived at the house on 33rd Street with his grandmother at the time of the shooting, took the stand and described his neighborhood as a "close-knit community."

He also testified that Watkins was "like a brother to me."

Indeed, Thomas said Watkins and other family members had gathered at the 33rd Street house after his grandmother's sister had died. He insisted the family was planning to enjoy each other's company and barbecue.

Thomas painted a verbal picture of the scene immediately prior to the shooting, saying that he was standing just off of the porch getting a small grill ready while Watkins and three other relatives sat around a table playing cards in the front yard.

The court was also shown a diagram drawn by Thomas that showed the positioning of everybody when Cousette and bail bondsman Edward Giles pulled up in front of the house.

It was at this point Thomas says Watkins jumped up and ran up the walk and into the front door of the house, with Cousette in pursuit on foot.

Thomas said Watkins "hopped up and runs into the house ... Cousette is hollering 'there's no need to run now.'"

This seems to contradict testimony presented Monday that Cousette called out Watkins by name before pursuing him into the house.

Below is a reproduction of the diagram drawn by Thomas, with "LW" denoting Watkins and "DT" representing Dominique Thomas.

Thomas also testified that he heard two shots in quick succession after Watkins and Cousette ran into the house, before District Attorney Hays Webb pointed out that a total of three shots were fired during the fatal exchange.

Webb then posited the possibility that two of the shots occurred so close together they might have been indistinguishable for somebody standing outside.

When discussing the day's events, Thomas said Watkins was there for most of the day but he never saw him with a gun.

Dexter Lewis, Thomas' younger brother, was the next witness called to the stand and testified that he did see Watkins with a handgun the day of the shooting. Investigators believe Watkins had the 9mm hidden in his waistband under his fanny pack.

Lewis also said he heard Cousette tell Watkins "don't you run," but as was the case with Thomas, he never mentioned that Cousette called Watkins by name, as was testified on Monday.

The final witness on Tuesday was Nannie Chambers, the matriarch of the family who lived at the house where the shooting occurred.

Chambers said she was in her bedroom charging her phone when the two men ran into the living room of the house and exchanged fire.

Chambers testified that she "heard a pop" and then saw Watkins on the floor, with most of his upper body visible in the door of the bedroom adjacent to the living area.

"I didn't see anybody shoot anybody," she said. "I just heard a pop."

The prosecution will continue with witness testimony Wednesday morning in Judge Brad Almond's courtroom when the trial begins its third day of proceedings.

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