Graphic warning: Two of four London officers involved in arrest testify at terrorism trial in Windsor

Two of four London police officers involved in the arrest testified at a terrorism trial in Windsor on Friday.

Warning: contains graphic content that may be disturbing to some readers.

Nathaniel Veltman, 22, is charged with four counts of terrorism-motivated first-degree murder and one count of terrorism-motivated attempted murder.

On June 6, 2021, four members of the Afzaal family were struck by a pickup truck and killed.

A fifth victim, a nine year old boy, survived his injuries.

The jury previously saw surveillance video of a heavily damaged black pickup truck pull into a nearby mall, ask a cab driver to call police and then he gets on his knees to be arrested.

One of the officers on scene, Const. Patti Leavoy-Costa continued her evidence Friday.

She is the officer who parks her cruiser directly in front of the pickup truck.

Leavoy-Costa detailed the damage to the truck, including broken headlights and she noticed a piece of fabric stuck between the hood and the side panel.

She also told the jury she noticed the bulletproof vest and helmet that Veltman was wearing at the time of his arrest.

On cross-examination, defence lawyer Christopher Hicks pointed out there was no mention of the vest in the officer’s notes from that day, nor did she mention it in her “will say” document for court and she didn’t testify to it at any pre-trial hearing.

Hicks was also critical of the officer for not jotting down time stamps in her notebook.

“Sir, it was a chaotic scene,” Leavoy-Costa testified. “With all due respect, we had more important things to do.”

Leavoy-Costa also defended her decision to participate in the first search of Veltman at the scene of his arrest.

“I’ve learned in my career complacency kills,” said Leavoy-Costa who wanted to ensure the accused didn’t have anything on him that could harm her colleagues after noticing a machete and pocketknife in Veltman’s truck.

The second officer to testify Friday was Det. Const. Matthew Hietkamp, who was a constable at the time of the collision.

He was dispatched to where a suspect was under arrest.

Hietkamp noticed a "camo-coloured vest and army-style ballistics helmet" on the hood of a cruiser.

Hietkamp went with the arresting officer to follow their cruiser in his own on the way to headquarters.

He told the jury he saw Veltman smiling and “looking around” at the traffic en route.

Once at headquarters, Hietkamp conducted a second search of Veltman, a “lengthier” one he testified.

He told the jury they had to wait for another suspect to be processed before Veltman could be processed.

At that time, Veltman’s steel-toed construction boots were seized by police.

On cross-examination, Hicks questioned how the officer could have observed Veltmans’ behaviour from the vehicle behind him.

The jury was relieved early on Friday and asked to return Monday at 10 a.m. for the resumption of evidence.