ATHENS, Ga. — The jury in the Jamie Hood death penalty trial in Athens lost yet another member on Wednesday, leaving only three alternates for what could be several more weeks of testimony.
Channel 2's Tony Thomas was in the courtroom Wednesday where halfway through the days' testimony, a juror wrote a note to the judge saying she felt she could no longer serve on the panel because she could not remain impartial. The judge excused her from service.
So far, three jurors have been removed from the jury that could decide whether Hood lives or dies at the hands of the state.
Prosecutors continued to call doctors and law enforcement officials to testify about the wounds to Athens-Clarke County police officers Buddy Christian and Tony Howard.
Hood has admitted he shot the two during a traffic stop in March 2011.
Police were looking for Hood in connection with a kidnapping earlier in the day. Hood insists Howard provoked him and his actions were justified. Christian died in his patrol car at the scene.
Crime Scene specialist Jim Schultz was one of the first responding officers to arrive on scene and tried to help Christian.
"I turned and look at Lt. Whitmore and I said, 'he's gone. I held his head as we laid him down,'" Schultz said.
Several officers have become emotional as they testified about that day and particularly as they answered questions from Hood.
Hood is acting as his own attorney.
The judge has overruled Hood several times, forcing him not to ask or rephrase questions he's asked witnesses.
"Are you a psychedelic doctor too sir?" Hood asked one witness.
"Your honor, I object," interjected a prosecutor.
Hood seems to be trying to prove to the jury that police contaminated the scene and even moved Christian's body.
Thomas said Hood even questioned seemingly routine testimony from an emergency room doctor.
"Do you have any evidence today to prove that the bullet entered Officer Howards left shoulder?" Hood asked Dr. Whitney Webb.
"What I can offer you today is that I'm the officer that took care of him," Webb said.
The sometimes painful back and forth questioning is expected to last for at least two more weeks.
It became especially painful as Schultz spoke about details he noticed inside Christian's patrol car, just inches from the body.
"On his computer screen there were pictures of his family and that's when it really set in," Schultz said.
Testimony is expected to resume on Thursday.