Prosecution presents final two witnesses in Julian trial

AARON EISENHAUER ~ aeisenhauer@semissourian.com Steven Julian speaks with a Cape Girardeau police officer at the scene of the fatal shooting of Zachary Snider on February 14, 2008. [Click to enlarge]

FULTON, Mo. — The state rested this morning after Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle presented the last two witnesses in the case against law enforcement officer Steven R. Julian, charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a fugitive he was trying to apprehend.

Tracy Lemonds, supervisor of Cape Girardeau's detective division, testified that Julian told him in an interview following the shooting he was about two-and-a-half feet from Zachary C. Snyder when he fired his service weapon Feb. 14.

Julian was placing Snyder under arrest on a parole violation warrant at a Themis Street apartment complex when Snyder lunged back, Julian told police detectives in a recorded interview played for the jury in Callaway County.

The last witness to testify was Dr. Michael Brown, director of the Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Academy and a SEMO criminal justice professor. Brown testified that drawing a firearm seriously limited an officer's options, because they were automatically going to their highest level of force first. He admitted on cross examination by Steve Wilson, attorney for Julian, that a number of facotrs needed to be considered when making an arrest, including the neighborhood and knowledge of whether the subject being arrested had a weapon.

The defense will present at least three witnesses, including Julian, before both attorneys give their closing arguements.

Check back later at semissourian.com or read Wednesday's Southeast Missourian for more on the trial.