'I couldn’t keep track of how many rounds I heard': Windsor police officers testify in murder trial

A Windsor murder trial dating back to a shooting five years ago resumed in Superior Court Friday, with two Windsor police officers taking the stand.

Jason Pantlitz-Solomon was shot multiple times at the corner of Ouellette and University Avenues in the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2018.

Kahli Johnson-Phillips is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.

Const. Andrew Crossette was first on the stand, testifying that he — along with Windsor Police Const. Drew Palmer — were in a police cruiser, parked just around the corner at the intersection of Pitt and Goyeau Streets when they heard gun shots around 2:40 a.m.

“They were in rapid succession, I couldn’t keep track of how many rounds I heard,” he told the jury, suggesting there may have been about 10 shots fired.

Seconds later, he recalls police dispatch radioing out the location of the shooting and Crossette testified he very quickly drove two blocks to the scene, which took 20-30 seconds.

When they turned the corner, he told the jury there was a lot of activity on University Avenue for a Monday morning.

“Two males approached us on the driver’s side, shouting. It was dark and pretty chaotic with a lot of people running on the street,” he testified. “I was provided with information that someone was shot.”

Crossette said his partner approached the scene with his rifle drawn. When Crossette eventually exited the police cruiser, he told the jury he came upon the body of a man he could later learn to be Pantlitz-Solomon. He said he donned a pair of latex gloves, kneeled by his side and began to administer first aid.

“There was a lot of shouting, people were distraught,” Crossette told the jury.

“I attempted to gain a pulse. I couldn’t feel a pulse in his neck or carotid. At that point in time, I wasn’t sure if he had a heart beat and I started chest compressions.”

He told the jury he radioed in Pantlitz-Solomon’s state and EMS arrived shortly after. Crossette said they continued to tend to Pantlitz-Solomon, eventually loaded him onto a stretcher and then he accompanied Essex-Windsor EMS in the ambulance to Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette Campus.

During the drive, he told the jury he found a piece of metal on the floor which he believed looked similar to a round. Crossette said he picked it up and would later turn it over to evidence.

It was there at the hospital, at 3:22 a.m., Pantlitz-Solomon was pronounced dead.

Retired Windsor Police Det. James Westenberg, who at the time worked in major crimes, was next to take the stand.

He was called the morning of the shooting around 3 a.m. with regards to a shooting downtown. Westenberg testified that about an hour later, he was advised he’d be the officer in charge of the crime scene.

Westenberg testified that later that same day, he issued a province-wide message about the shooting to other police forces.

“As a result of that, Peel Regional Police reached out to our service,” he said.

Peel Regional Police had been investigating an incident that day involving a white Nissan Altima. According to police, it matched the description of the vehicle the suspects used to flee the scene in Windsor earlier that morning.

In cross-examination, defence lawyer Michael Moon questioned Westenberg about the police investigation in the Peel Region.

“You became aware that Peel had taken down and ultimately seized a white Nissan that ultimately became part of your investigation as well?” Moon asked.

Westenberg acknowledged with a yes.

Moon asked Westenberg if he was aware of another man who was arrested in Peel that day. The man was found hiding in a nearby dumpster.

Moon noted the man had a recent injury to his left wrist.

Moon then pointed to video evidence of the Windsor shooting shown in court the day before, where one of the shooters is seen to fall down on the street while fleeing, falling “heavily on his left hand.”

“What, if anything, did you do or assign to be done in regards to that person?” Moon asked Westenberg.

“I didn’t assign anything,” Westenberg testified. “I think I relied on what Peel advised me of, is they didn’t believe he was involved.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

The trial will pick up again on Monday, where the jury is expected to hear from more witnesses who were at the scene of the shooting.