Jobe companion says he heard shout of 'police'
11/6/2007The 19-year-old who was with Robert Jobe the night a Toledo police officer was killed testified this afternoon that one of the three men who approached them that evening identified the group as police.
Sherman Powell, who was emotional during his testimony in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, recalled running after hearing the man say "police" because Powell was carrying a gun. The Jobe youth headed in an opposite direction.
Powell also said the Jobe youth, who was known as Bobby White, was carrying a .38-caliber gun that belonged to Powell.
Powell testified that he did not see an altercation between Robert Jobe and Toledo police vice Detective Keith Dressel, one that authorities said led to the officer s shooting death.
Under cross-examination, Powell said he was carrying a gun that night because he was fearful of being robbed.
He also said he didn t want to be on the witness stand, but agreed to do so to avoid prison time. Mr. Powell was arrested that night and faces drugs, weapons, and obstruction charges.
Earlier in the day, the jury in the Jobe murder trial watched more than an hour of the videotaped statement the Jobe youth made after his arrest for the murder of Detective Dressel.
Following extensive questioning during the interview, made hours after Detective Dressel was shot to death in the early morning hours of Feb. 21, the 15-year-old admitted to having a gun and shooting the undercover officer during a tussle.
He maintained throughout the interview, however, that he did not know that Detective Dressel and the two men with him were undercover police officers.
The tape was shown during the questioning of Detective Kermit Quinn, who first took the stand Monday afternoon.
The Jobe teen is charged with shooting Detective Dressel once in the left part of his chest. Witnesses testified that the detective lay bleeding on the sidewalk in the 1400 block of North Ontario Street, gasping.
He died shortly afterward.
To prove aggravated murder, prosecutors must present evidence to show that the teenager knew that Detective Dressel was a police officer and that the killing was intentional.
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