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04-25-08, 05:08 PM
Fellow officers testify in penalty phase
1 life spiraled into anxiety, martial trouble; another left with nightmares about him
By LUKE GIANNI
Article Created: 04/24/2008 08:47:48 AM PDT
Those close to slain CHP officer Andy Stevens took the stand Wednesday to tell the jury how his death affected them.
The testimony was taken as part of the penalty phase for his convicted killer, Brendt Anthony Volarvich, who gunned Stevens down during a November 2005 traffic stop.
Volarvich was convicted earlier this month of first degree murder for the shooting and the jury must now decide whether to impose the death penalty for the crime.
This week, prosecutors have been bringing witnesses to the stand who were associates of Stevens to describe how his death has impacted their lives.
"I work out of the office now," Woodland CHP officer Bob Lagormarsino said when asked how Stevens death impacted his life. "I don't go out on the road."
Lagomarsino said he was good friends with Stevens as the two worked many graveyard shifts together out of the Woodland CHP office.
On one night, Lagomarsino recalled on the stand, the two set off to respond to two major injury accidents and one fatal call that was sure to create a week's worth of paperwork.
Stevens, who was riding shotgun, offered to help Lagomarsino with the reports, but Lagomarsino refused, as Stevens had three major injury accident reports of his own to do from earlier incidents.
"I told him no, you've got enough to do," Lagomarsino said.
Stevens persisted but Lagomarsino kept refusing, not wanting to burden his partner.
The next day, however, Lagomarsino said he came to his desk and there waiting for him were there complete accident diagrams from the night before.
At this point in the story, Lagomarsino buried his head in his hands, sobbing.
The last time he saw Stevens was on the day of the shooting on Nov. 17, 2005 at lunch.
Lagomarsino suggested Stevens go home for the day, having already completed his shift.
However, Stevens, in typical fashion, Lagomarsino said, insisted on going back out on the road to do just a bit more.
A couple hours later, a civilian's voice came over the radio, yelling "mayday," followed by Stevens' badge number.
Lagomarsino and a couple of other officers raced out to the scene.
"His head was in a pool of blood," Lagomarsino said. "I squeezed his hand. He was cold. He wasn't him even though it was. You see, he wasn't a cold person."
Nothing was the same after that.
Lagomarsino said he took an office post after the shooting because he couldn't handle the road anymore.
"It's not something I want to do anymore after Andy," Lagomarsino said.
Anxiety and marital problems followed in the wake of the shooting, all of which, Lagomarsino said was a dark testament to what his friend meant to him.
Stevens' commander, Darren Iketani, who had been in attendance at almost every hearing in the case for the last two years took the stand to give his perspective.
"I am tremendously saddened by this," Iketani said, who had lost several close associates on the job. "It's another friend I don't have."
Iketani said he was sitting in his office when he heard the mayday call come in and was out on the scene in under seven minutes.
"It never entered my mind that we would be doing anything else than prepping Andy, scooping him up and sending him to the hospital," Iketani said. "I had a horrible realization when I saw the yellow blanket on the road."
Iketani described himself previously as a normally gregarious and positively orientated individual. He now spends more time alone in silence, he said.
Sleep sometimes bring nightmares of self-questioning over what more he could have done as the office commander to prevent his death.
Also brought to the stand were friends of Stevens and neighbors who all relayed their unique stories of what he meant to them and how diminished their lives had become without him.
The prosecution is expected to wrap up their case this week, followed by the defense, who will bring in their own set of witnesses.
Link (http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_9039639)
1 life spiraled into anxiety, martial trouble; another left with nightmares about him
By LUKE GIANNI
Article Created: 04/24/2008 08:47:48 AM PDT
Those close to slain CHP officer Andy Stevens took the stand Wednesday to tell the jury how his death affected them.
The testimony was taken as part of the penalty phase for his convicted killer, Brendt Anthony Volarvich, who gunned Stevens down during a November 2005 traffic stop.
Volarvich was convicted earlier this month of first degree murder for the shooting and the jury must now decide whether to impose the death penalty for the crime.
This week, prosecutors have been bringing witnesses to the stand who were associates of Stevens to describe how his death has impacted their lives.
"I work out of the office now," Woodland CHP officer Bob Lagormarsino said when asked how Stevens death impacted his life. "I don't go out on the road."
Lagomarsino said he was good friends with Stevens as the two worked many graveyard shifts together out of the Woodland CHP office.
On one night, Lagomarsino recalled on the stand, the two set off to respond to two major injury accidents and one fatal call that was sure to create a week's worth of paperwork.
Stevens, who was riding shotgun, offered to help Lagomarsino with the reports, but Lagomarsino refused, as Stevens had three major injury accident reports of his own to do from earlier incidents.
"I told him no, you've got enough to do," Lagomarsino said.
Stevens persisted but Lagomarsino kept refusing, not wanting to burden his partner.
The next day, however, Lagomarsino said he came to his desk and there waiting for him were there complete accident diagrams from the night before.
At this point in the story, Lagomarsino buried his head in his hands, sobbing.
The last time he saw Stevens was on the day of the shooting on Nov. 17, 2005 at lunch.
Lagomarsino suggested Stevens go home for the day, having already completed his shift.
However, Stevens, in typical fashion, Lagomarsino said, insisted on going back out on the road to do just a bit more.
A couple hours later, a civilian's voice came over the radio, yelling "mayday," followed by Stevens' badge number.
Lagomarsino and a couple of other officers raced out to the scene.
"His head was in a pool of blood," Lagomarsino said. "I squeezed his hand. He was cold. He wasn't him even though it was. You see, he wasn't a cold person."
Nothing was the same after that.
Lagomarsino said he took an office post after the shooting because he couldn't handle the road anymore.
"It's not something I want to do anymore after Andy," Lagomarsino said.
Anxiety and marital problems followed in the wake of the shooting, all of which, Lagomarsino said was a dark testament to what his friend meant to him.
Stevens' commander, Darren Iketani, who had been in attendance at almost every hearing in the case for the last two years took the stand to give his perspective.
"I am tremendously saddened by this," Iketani said, who had lost several close associates on the job. "It's another friend I don't have."
Iketani said he was sitting in his office when he heard the mayday call come in and was out on the scene in under seven minutes.
"It never entered my mind that we would be doing anything else than prepping Andy, scooping him up and sending him to the hospital," Iketani said. "I had a horrible realization when I saw the yellow blanket on the road."
Iketani described himself previously as a normally gregarious and positively orientated individual. He now spends more time alone in silence, he said.
Sleep sometimes bring nightmares of self-questioning over what more he could have done as the office commander to prevent his death.
Also brought to the stand were friends of Stevens and neighbors who all relayed their unique stories of what he meant to them and how diminished their lives had become without him.
The prosecution is expected to wrap up their case this week, followed by the defense, who will bring in their own set of witnesses.
Link (http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_9039639)