Bradley asked for time to review the statement and prepare his cross-examination. Judge Wallace granted a recess, and the lawyers met in a conference room while the jury waited outside. Stanton remained at the defense table, his hands clasped beneath the edge, trying to interpret Reed's silence. When Bradley finally told him what had happened, Stanton stared at his former partner with an expression that made Reed's decision feel physically dangerous.
"You threw me away to save yourself," Stanton said. Bradley told him to stop speaking and reminded him that the jury would assess testimony, not personal loyalty. Reed did not answer the accusation, because he knew the timing made his cooperation vulnerable to exactly that criticism. He also knew he had had months to tell the truth and had chosen not to until that afternoon.
The proceedings resumed later than expected. Judge Wallace instructed the jury that Reed was no longer a defendant in the trial and that his own plea must not be treated as proof of Stanton's guilt. He explained that Reed's testimony would be admitted because it could directly address disputed facts raised by Stanton, and that the defense would be permitted to question him fully. Clark rose and called David Reed to the witness stand.
Reed walked past the defense table without looking at Stanton. He no longer wore the same stiff expression he had brought to court that morning, but he did not look relieved. At the witness box, he swore to tell the truth and sat with his hands resting on the railing. Behind the prosecution table, Beatrice watched him and wondered whether the young man who had helped place the restraints on her injured arm would finally speak about her as a person.
Clark began by explaining the plea in plain terms. Reed admitted that he could receive a more favorable sentencing recommendation if his cooperation was complete and truthful, and that he had every reason to hope the court would take his decision into account. He also admitted that he had signed statements he now said were false. The prosecutor asked him why, after so much time, he had changed his account.
Reed looked toward the jury and answered that he could not keep carrying it. Clark did not permit the phrase to stand as a substitute for facts. He asked what, specifically, Reed had lied about, and the former officer lowered his eyes before saying that Beatrice Hayes had not threatened either officer with a firearm. He had never seen a gun, and he had never seen her attempt to strike Stanton.
Reed described the beginning of the shift and the domestic disturbance that had left Stanton angry, though the judge instructed him to describe observable words and actions rather than speculate about his partner's private thoughts. He said Stanton had complained repeatedly about disrespect and had become impatient with routine delays. When they saw Beatrice's Corolla, Stanton announced that he wanted to stop the driver, and Reed had not challenged the decision. He acknowledged that he could not personally confirm the centerline movements later described in the report.