Day One: Prosecution; "Code 4"

Opening statements have begun.

The prosecution is discussing Code 4, a police term, meaning that everything is okay. THe situation is under control. In a short time from now, she says they will learn that on April 12, Office LIndsey called out a Code 4.

She says the evidence will show that at the very moment he called a Code 4 that it appeared the situation was "code 4," that it WAS under control.

She says that it didn't take long for things to change, telling the jurors that Lindsey was shot in the head from side, the bullet exiting the other side.

She says Officer Lindsey was assigned to car 57. She says that Lindsey had worked that area (The Cornhill area) before. She says that he had worked that time shift and that area often.

He called out that a red doge neon ,dyg3194, unknown occupants at corner of nielson and mortimer. less than 2 minutes later, he called out code 4, meaning things were under control. She says that evidence will show that around 8:15 p.m., 2 officers went to the location where the neon was pulled over to see if he needed help; something that is standard procedure.

She says that this is often used in areas considered a "high crime area," which that area of Nielson Street is.

Prosecution says that through testimony they will hear officers say that Lindsey was walking away form the neon to his vehicle with paperwork in his hand. She keeps repeating "Code 4, ladies and gentleman, code 4." She asks them to listen to these to Officers carefully: Officers French and Officers Sabanovic, as they drove by him shortly before the incident.

She says they will say Lindsey was relaxed and waved both officers on, not in need of their assistance.

She says just moments after those officers moved on, that calls came in to the 911 call center that shots have been fired at Nielson Street. Several officers were dispatched to the area.

She says that during the trial we'll hear some of those 911 calls regarding the shots fired. She says we'll also hear from the first two officers on the scene after the shots fired - Officer Nash and Officer Poccia. She says they are the ones who found Lindsey mortally wounded laying on his back just a short distance from his patrol vehicle, parked int he middled of the 1100 block of Nielson Street, still running, with the spotlight sitll activated.

Upon their arrival, she says, both Officers Nash and Poccia found the body, and immediately Poccia radioed to headquarters saying "Officer Down."

She says that in the blink of an eye, "the world of the Utica Police was changed forever."