Day One: Rizanovic takes the stand

Officer Rizanovic has now taken the stand and is being questioned by the prosecution. Rizanovic drove a city-wide patrol, and heard the radio call from Lindsey about the traffic stop that night in April, along with a message of "unknown occupants" in the car.

Rizanovic says that he responded for backup, something that they always do when there are "unknown occupants." He proceeded from Elm Street where he was to Nielson and Mortimer where the traffic stop was called in, a trip that took about 30 seconds, he said.

Rizanovic recalls Lindsey calling in the description of the Red Dodge Neon, seeing Officer French go by the scene as well.

Rizanovic says he waited at the scene, saying "Hi" to Officer French as he drove by. He spoke to Lindsey, teasing him about how far away from the curb he had pulled the car over. He said that Lindsey told Rizanovic "I'm all set." Rizanovic says he took this to mean that Officer Lindsey was all set.

Rizanovic says that he had known Lindsey for a long time, even training with him, and that he had backed up Lindsey numerous times before at traffic stops, but that this particular rainy evening, he did not back him up, because Lindsey had said he was "all set."

Rizanovic then proceeded Northbound on Nielson, passing the Dodge Neon, saying he observed a white male, 25 years old, puffy cheeks, black hair in the car as he drove by, but that the individual was looking away from him at the time.

Rizanovic then went to the area of South Street when he heard a dispatch to 1100 block of Nielson Street, where he just was, for a call of shots fired. He says he turned around and went back, with lights and sirens. On his way there, he heard a radio transmission of "Officer Down," which he says means an officer has been shot.

He proceeded to the scene, and upon arrival, he says he stood by, watching a lot of police vehicles on the scene, and awaited directions.

The next radio communication he heard, he said, was the BOLO for the Red Dodge Neon, that Officer Lindsey has just stopped. He then heard that the vehicle had been stopped on John Street...which he describes as about 15 seconds from the 1100 block of Nielson Street.

Arriving at John Street, he saw the Red Dodge Neon and numerous police vehicles, he said. He describes the scene as "chaotic," and says that while he had no confirmation, he had an idea, based on just passing him on the same street, that Lindsey was the officer down.

When asked by prosecution, he describes Lindsey's demeanor just minutes before as "relaxed."

Officer Rizanovic then says he was asked to take an elderly woman to the station at that point, which he proceeded to do.

He says that upon seeing Sammy Rivera, he told police that it was not the driver vehicle he had seen.