Donner's opening was careful. He reminded the jury that poor judgment was not automatically criminal misconduct, that police sometimes had to investigate ambiguous situations, and that a uniformed officer might reasonably become concerned when a person refused instructions. He acknowledged that some of Puit's words were regrettable. But he warned jurors against allowing anger about those words to decide charges requiring proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
The first prosecution witness was Gerald Pitts. He explained how his front porch camera worked, why it recorded a wide view of the cul-de-sac, and how he had obtained the original file. He had brought the video to investigators rather than posting an edited segment, and a digital evidence specialist confirmed the source timestamps and continuity. The jury watched the cruiser enter the street, stop, and remain there for one minute and fifty-seven seconds while Raymond worked peacefully beside his Chevelle.
Webb asked what the recording showed Raymond doing during that interval. Gerald leaned toward the microphone. "Washing his car," he answered.
"Same as he does most Saturdays. I couldn't tell you what the officer thought he saw, because he hadn't gotten out and there was nothing happening on the street." Donner questioned the witness about the camera's distance and limitations. Gerald acknowledged that the camera could not see inside the cruiser, a concession that made his testimony more credible rather than less.
Marcus Tilman testified next, accompanied to court by his grandmother. He told the jury where he had been standing, why he started recording, and how he made sure not to move closer to the confrontation. His video showed Puit grabbing Raymond's arm, shouting about resistance, and extending the baton while Raymond repeatedly said that he was not attacking or threatening anyone. Marcus spoke nervously at first, then more steadily when he realized nobody was asking him to invent details.
"Why did you keep filming?" Webb asked. Marcus thought for a moment. "Because I was scared somebody would say something different happened," he said.
Donner asked whether the teenager had a personal relationship with Raymond. "He's my grandmother's neighbor," Marcus answered. "He helped me fix a bike chain once. But I didn't start recording because he's my friend. I started because I thought the officer might hurt him."
Dorothy Wills followed. She entered the witness stand with the straight-backed dignity of a retired teacher who had never allowed a room full of people to intimidate her. She described hearing the comment about Raymond's clothes, watching the plate check, and then hearing Puit threaten a welfare removal. She recalled calling out that Raymond lived in the house and said the officer instructed her to stay back. When Donner suggested she might have misheard parts of the exchange, Dorothy invited him to play the recording and compare it with her statement.
The courtroom laughed softly before Judge Odum instructed spectators to remain quiet. Dorothy did not smile. "I taught children to pay attention to language for thirty years," she said. "I know the difference between somebody asking a question and somebody trying to frighten another person. That man was trying to frighten Raymond." Donner changed topics rather than arguing the point further.