AUSTIN, Texas — The first day of testimony in the murder trial of Christopher Taylor is over. The Austin Police Department officer is accused of shooting and killing Michael Ramos after responding to a call in southeast Austin in 2020.
The state brought several witnesses to the stand, including Ramos' half sister and a few APD officers.
The state prosecutors kicked off their opening statements describing the fatal injury Ramos suffered when Officer Taylor fired his gun.
Prosecutor Dextor Gilford said at the time Taylor fired those three shots, there was not a single person who was in danger of being struck. He argued that Taylor intentionally took the life of Ramos without adequate cause or justification because police officers are trained to fire if they face a deadly threat. Police say a 911 caller said Ramos had a gun in his car, but officers did not find a gun after Ramos was shot.
"The evidence will show that all three shots struck Michael Ramos, secondly the one that left catastrophic irrecoverable injury that I just described. The evidence is going to show when Christopher Taylor, when he fired that shot at Michael Ramos, he was taking aim at a man who was attempting to flee away from the officers," Gilford said.
Ramos' half sister, Clavita McMillan, describes what Ramos was like as a brother.
"I was the big sister that when he came and talked to me, I would listen to him but would always try to guide him and tell him what's right, the right thing to do," McMillan said.
McMillan says Ramos had a relationship with her children and was "active" in their life.
Some other witnesses who took the stand were two other officers, Nathan Taylor and Shay Sawyer, forensic scientist consultant Michael Haag, YouTube content creator Ron Jackson, who made a 911 call the day before Ramos' death, and Tavon Jefferson, who witnessed the shooting take place at her apartment complex.
"I cried and bawled up because my son was devastated. He was having to be out there when I went to the other side. I just cried. I just cried because I felt they could have done something other than killing him – they could have shot his tire," Jefferson said.
The defense has refrained from giving their opening statement so far. Day 2 of testimony begins at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.