MILWAUKEE — The second day of testimony concluded Thursday in the trial of a man accused of shooting and killing a Milwaukee immigration attorney.
Theodore Edgecomb is the defendant in the case and isaccused of killing Jason Cleeremanin September of 2020 near Holton and Brady Streets. He faces one count of first degree intentional homicide.
Prosecutors called several witnesses to the stand Thursday.
Attorneys finished questioning a Milwaukee Police detective who received the surveillance videos, one of which he says shows Edgecomb punch Cleereman and the other shows the shooting.
The state called Rodtrell Cameron to the stand. He testified he was driving behind the Cleeremans that night on Brady Street and saw Edgecomb punch through the car window. After Edgecomb rode away on his bike, he said he followed the Cleereman car and saw Jason Cleereman get out and go towards Edgecomb.
"So a guy gets into a boxing stance and the biker does what?" said Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Grant Huebner.
"He pulls the gun and then he shoots the guy in the head," Cameron said.
"What happens next?" Huebner said.
"Then the guy hesitated, he didn't know necessarily what to do," Cameron said. "And that's when he proceeded down the stairs."
On cross examination, defense attorneys questioned Cameron about Edgecomb's demeanor.
"Would you consider the vehicle coming at Mr. Edgecomb violently?" said defense attorney B'Ivory LaMarr.
"Yeah," Cameron replied.
"Did it appear Mr. Edgecomb was afraid at the time he jumped the curb to get on the sidewalk?" LaMarr asked.
"Yeah, because he fell," Cameron responded.
"Did it appear Mr. Edgecomb was afraid when he turned right to try to escape the exact direction of Mr. and Mrs. Cleereman?" LaMarr said.
"Yes," Cameron said.
Cameron called 911.
Another witness testified he was on his work break when he saw the encounter on the bridge. He also called 911.
The state called several Milwaukee Police Officers to ask them about how they collected surveillance video in the area.
Dr. Doug Kelley with the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office was the last to take the stand Thursday.
Prosecutors allege Edgecomb got in a verbal altercation with Cleereman and his wife, who were driving in their car near Brady Street. Edgecomb allegedly punched the immigration attorney and then rode away on his bike. Then, on the Holton Street Bridge, prosecutors say that's when Edgecomb shot and killed Cleereman.
"A horrible, senseless incident that begins with a swear word, and is escalated to a punch, and is ended with a bullet into the brain," said Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Grant Huebner.
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Edgecomb plans to claim self defense at trial, and his attorneys say he will testify. Defense attorneys say surveillance video provided shows Cleereman pull up behind Edgecomb and chase after him in the moments before the shooting.
Edgecomb's attorneys say he was picking up food that night for his daughter when he was hit by a car and heard Cleereman yell at him.
"So he's not just going to get food and just find a car and just go punch somebody," said defense attorney B'Ivory LaMarr. "He goes to the car, he asks Mr. Cleereman, were you talking to me? Mr. Cleereman says, yes, racial slur, I was talking to you. And that's when Mr. Edgecomb punches Mr. Cleereman. Now, we make no justification for that. There is no doubt about it, Mr. Edgecomb should not have taken matters into his own hands."
The state then called two Milwaukee Police detectives to the stand who processed the scene that night.
On Tuesday, several potential jurors were accidentally shown on the courtroom’s live video feed which can be viewed by the public.
Edgecomb’s defense then asked the presiding judge to dismiss the entire jury pool of 50 Milwaukee County residents. The request was granted out of an abundance of caution after the judge learned several potential jurors were shown on the court’s livestream. Jurors have a constitutional right to remain anonymous.
The judge called it an awful and despicable situation after hearing screenshots of potential jurors were posted on social media. The judge ultimately called for brand new pool jurors. On Wednesday, the jury was selected from a new pool of jurors.
Media were not allowed to rebroadcast the court’s live feed of jury selection. Therefore, TMJ4 News is unable to show you any of the events that took place in court related to this case on Tuesday.
Before jury selection began, Edgecomb pleaded guilty to two counts of felony bail jumping and misdemeanor bail jumping which stemmed from two unrelated cases. That leaves one count of first degree intentional homicide for jurors to decide on at trial.
A new pool of jurors were brought into the courtroom for examination Tuesday afternoon. The trial will begin once 12 jurors and two alternates are selected. The judge told potential jurors that the trial is expected to wrap up next Monday.
