Finally, Clark asked Stanton what he had done after Beatrice was handcuffed. Stanton said he had transported her to the station and followed procedure. Clark asked whether she had tried to escape, strike anyone, or seize a weapon once she was restrained. Stanton answered no, then added that her earlier actions had justified the arrest.
"What earlier actions?" Clark asked. Stanton repeated the phrase sudden threatening movement toward a concealed area. Clark looked at the image of the yellow envelope still on the monitor and asked whether that was the movement he meant. Stanton said yes, and the prosecutor lowered the image only after the jury had been given enough time to study it.
For the first time during his testimony, Stanton turned toward the gallery. He saw Beatrice sitting with her good hand resting on the cane, her face tired but attentive, and Jackson beside her with a posture as still as the man in the recorded call had sounded. Stanton looked away and returned his attention to Clark. The prosecutor asked whether he had anything to add about the moment the collarbone fractured, and Stanton replied that he had done his job.
Clark let the words settle. He asked no final theatrical question, made no speech about the meaning of police service, and did not invite the witness into an argument. He thanked Stanton and returned to the prosecution table. The absence of a flourish made the testimony's contradictions feel more exposed, because nothing in the room distracted from the documents and recording.
Bradley conducted a brief redirect about the uncertainty of nighttime policing and the fact that no officer could know the contents of a compartment until it was opened. Stanton agreed, but when asked if he wished Beatrice had been less seriously hurt, he answered so mechanically that the words seemed to satisfy neither lawyer nor jury. Bradley stopped before another answer could make matters worse. After a short consultation with O'Connor, the defense announced that it had no additional witnesses for the moment.
Judge Wallace was preparing to discuss the remaining trial schedule when Clark requested a conference outside the jury's presence. He explained that counsel for Reed had approached the state about a plea and truthful testimony that directly contradicted important portions of Stanton's account. Bradley immediately objected to the timing, saying the defense had prepared for a joint trial and would need access to any statements before facing a new witness. The judge agreed that surprise testimony could not be allowed without a meaningful opportunity to respond.
The jury was excused while the court considered the proposed change. O'Connor confirmed that Reed had consulted independently and understood his rights, including the protection against self-incrimination. Reed formally offered to plead guilty to an official misconduct count and acknowledged in the proposed factual statement that he had participated in the improper restraint and signed a false report. He agreed to cooperate and testify truthfully without being promised a particular sentence, though prosecutors would inform the sentencing court of his assistance.
The judge questioned Reed at length before accepting the plea. He wanted to know whether Reed had been threatened, whether he understood that the agreement could not guarantee probation, and whether he appreciated that false testimony would create further legal consequences. Reed answered carefully and affirmed that he was acting voluntarily. His case was separated from the remaining jury trial, and Judge Wallace ordered that the jury be told about the plea only as necessary to evaluate Reed's credibility, not as evidence that Stanton was guilty.