Phil Mercer testified about Kirkland's instruction to mark the video as corrupted. He spoke softly, sometimes asking the prosecutor to repeat a question, and acknowledged his own role in changing the visible file entry. Under cross-examination, defense counsel asked whether it was possible the chief had genuinely believed a technical problem existed. Phil replied that no problem had been reported until after the public controversy and that the instruction he received did not ask him to diagnose a malfunction. It asked him to make a recording unavailable.
The prosecution called Calvin next. In a suit that looked unfamiliar on his lean frame, he stood, took the oath, and described the drive from North Carolina. He told the jury about Nathaniel's conversation concerning his childhood, the cruiser appearing behind them, and the care he took to obey the traffic rules. His voice remained controlled until he reached the moment Cheney forced Nathaniel onto the road.
"What did you see?" the prosecutor asked. Calvin looked toward Nathaniel, then back at the jury. "I saw the officer put his boot on the general's back and point a gun near his head. I saw the general keep his hands where he'd been told to keep them. I remember thinking that if I moved too suddenly, there might be two people on that road who never went home."
The defense asked why Calvin had not immediately announced Nathaniel's rank. He answered that they had provided the military identification, that Cheney had handled it, and that Nathaniel had directed him to remain calm. The lawyer suggested Calvin was exaggerating because of his loyalty to his superior. Calvin admitted that he respected Nathaniel deeply, then added that respect could not change what the recordings showed.
"Would you still say this was wrong if the passenger had been a civilian with no military connection?" the lawyer asked. Calvin did not hesitate. "I'd say it was worse if the civilian had no one who could help him after the arrest," he replied. "But yes. I'd say it was wrong."
Nathaniel was called the following day. As he walked to the witness stand, he noticed Ruthie seated beside Simone in the front row, wearing a navy dress and the pearl earrings Thomas had given her for their twentieth anniversary. Her back was straight, and her hands rested quietly in her lap. Nathaniel had seen that posture at hundreds of school ceremonies when Ruthie insisted that her students remain calm and finish what they had started.
The prosecutor asked him to begin with the purpose of his trip. Nathaniel described his mother's birthday, the drive with Calvin, and the decision to dress casually for a weekend at home. He explained that he owned the Escalade privately and had been traveling on personal time. He then described the stop, the identification he produced, and the officer's refusal to give a clear explanation for the detention.