The BigPicture

The prosecution continued its case against Jeremy Christian Thursday. Christian is accused of killing two people and injuring a third on a TriMet light rail train in Portland in2017.

Beforehand, witnesses said Christian was shouting racist comments while two young black women were nearby Walia Mohamed and Destinee Magnum. Mohamed is Muslim and was wearing ahijab.

Christian is also accused of harassing and assaulting Demetria Hester, an African American woman, on a TriMet light rail train the dayprior.

He faces a dozen felony and misdemeanor charges, including multiple counts of first-degree murder andintimidation.

Jeremy Christian in court for the third day at the Multnomah County Courthouse in Portland, Ore., Jan. 30,2020.

Mark Graves/TheOregonian/OregonLive/Pool

Prosecutors called five witnesses to the stand Thursday, including the aunt of one of the victims, the MAX train operator, people who were on the train at the time of the stabbings and a Portland Police officer who responded to thescene.

Beatrix Therese VanOlphen spoke on the stand about a phone call she had with her nephew, Taliesin Namkai-Meche, when he was on the MAX thatday.

Namkai-Meche is one of the men whodied.

We were talking about the new house hed just bought and how he was going to get some roommates to help pay the mortgage, VanOlphensaid.

She said there was loud yelling in the background of the call; Namkai-Meche had told her it was a crazy person was ranting racistcomments.

VanOlphen said she told her nephew not to get involved, but to maybe take video of what was going on just in case it was something to give to the police later. That was the last time she talked toNamkai-Meche.

Jeffrey Quintana has been a MAX train operator for the past 12 years. He was the operator on the MAX Green Line the day of thestabbings.

He said he could hear an argument occurring in the train from his seat in the cab and made an announcement over the intercom telling people to settle down. Quintana said he told the rail controller about that announcement. The controller told him to check in on the car at the HollywoodStation.

Quintana also said he was not aware of any audible signalling or visual flashing from any passengers hitting the call button from inside of the traincar.

When the train arrived at the Hollywood Station, Quintana opened the cabs internal door and someone told him there was astabbing.

He said he closed the door back and locked it, waiting for thepolice.

I was kind of fearing for my life because I dont have any defense, any training defense against a knife, Quintana said. So I didnt get out of the cab for mysafety.

There were unfathomable amounts of blood on the floor, Police Police Officer Rehanna Kerridge said. I ended up throwing my boots away because they were saturated withblood.

Kerridge was the first officer to respond to the scene on May 26, 2017. She had been on patrol when she got the call about a disturbance on the MAX. Traffic was really bad, she said. It was the Friday before a three-dayweekend.

She and other officers, as they arrived, offered aid to victims while waiting for medicalstaff.

Charles Button, 24, testifies during the third day in the trial of Jeremy Christian at the Multnomah County Courthouse in Portland, Ore., Jan. 30, 2020. Button attempted to administer aid to one of the victims the day of theattack.

Mark Graves/TheOregonian/OregonLive/Pool

Charles Button was a Portland State University student at the time of the attacks, working to eventually go to medical school. He was on the train thatday.

Button was seated near the back of the train and couldnt see what was going on up front, but he said he heard a man yelling things along the lines of: Immigrants are ruining this country. Trump will fix this, and something along the lines of illegal immigrants dont paytaxes.

He didnt see the stabbing take place, but he heard screams and saw people running from thetrain.

Button said he attempted to administer aid to Ricky Best, one of the victims, using his sweatshirt to apply pressure to Bests neckwound.

Chief deputy district attorney Donald Rees asked Button how he felt after aidingBest.

I was very shaky. I was covered in blood from my toes to my knees and my hands. I was very sad and trying to figure out what to do next after this, Button said. I just felt like Id let the man down on thetrain.

Jurors are expected to tour a MAX train car at a secure TriMet facility Thursday afternoon. The media and the public are not allowed to attend. Christian also wont be there, but defense attorneys, prosecutors and the judge will be inattendance.

Key witnesses that could still testify include Micah Fletcher who was stabbed on the train by Christian and survived. Also, Demetria Hester could testify. Prosecutors say she was assaulted by Christian on a Portland light rail train on May 25, 2017, the day before thestabbings.

After the state rests its case, Christians defense team will call witnesses of their own. So far, theyve argued Christian was acting inself-defense.

The trial itself is expected to last a month, through the end ofFebruary.

OPBs Conrad Wilson contributed reporting.

Go here to see the original:

'Unfathomable Amounts Of Blood On The Floor' Testimony Continues In TriMet Stabbing Trial - OPB News