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Garson Taylor's ex-wife, Taylor Hebb, took the stand during the first day of Garson Taylor's trial to recount the couple's altercation on April 10 that culminated in an hour-long standoff between Taylor and Benwood Police Department officers.
Taylor faces charges of wanton endangerment with a firearm, strangulation, domestic battery, fleeing in a vehicle from an officer and obstructing an officer.
During her testimony, Hebb recounted her history with Taylor, which included her two-year-long affair with a Wheeling firefighter. After Taylor discovered this in January, Hebb said the couple decided to "work on things."
Going on to recount the events of April 10, Hebb said that Taylor grabbed her phone and went through her social media when he suspected she was messaging someone while the couple and their 1-year-old daughter lay in bed together.
While trying to get her phone back from Taylor, Hebb described him pushing her "at least five times," which made her "very scared and nervous." Hebb said Taylor shoved her onto the bed, which their daughter was on, as he was "very angry and aggressive."
Afterward, Hebb said Taylor threw a blanket over her face and placed his right hand on her neck, preventing her from getting off the bed.
"I felt like I was fighting for her life," said Hebb.
Eventually escaping his grasp and getting off the bed, Hebb recounted Taylor then shoving her onto the ground with both hands. After telling Taylor she was going to call the police, Hebb recalled him responding, "Go ahead, I have guns."
Seeing Taylor headed to the room of their house containing their guns, Hebb said she grabbed their daughter and fled the scene.
Marshall County Prosecutor Joe Canestraro then displayed to the jury the photos that Benwood Police Sgt. Peter Barton took of Hebb's injuries from the altercation. The photos included a close-up shot of Hebb's face, showing her bloody nose and red marks left on her neck. Another photo of Hebb's legs showed skin had been torn off.
During his opening statements, defense attorney Robert McCoid took issue with the contrasts between what Hebb told officers and emergency personnel on April 10 compared to what she recounted during a Family Violence Protective Order Hearing.
A large difference between the stories, McCoid pointed out, was whether Taylor choked Hebb during their fight and whether the strangulation charge could fall under this. Moving to the police standoff, the defense attorney detailed that during the confrontation, Taylor was "going to take his own life or have the officers do it for him."
"He had no intent whatsoever to harm law enforcement officers," added McCoid. "The proof will be in the pudding when you see the body cam video."
The body cam footage of the standoff and subsequent arrest of Taylor was played during the questioning of Canestraro's second witness, Barton.
"I got nothing to live for," said Taylor while refusing to leave his truck, "This whole place doesn't know what's going on in my head."
Eventually, officers approached the car and pulled Taylor out of it, putting handcuffs on him and tearing off his body armor.
When prompted by Canestraro on why this was "lucky" for Taylor, Barton explained the interaction could have turned lethal since Taylor had a firearm with him in the vehicle.
"Other than pointing a gun at his own head, he didn't point it at any officer?" asked McCoid during his cross-examination, which Barton confirmed.
McCoid then asked Barton whether Taylor was "struggling to have the nerve to kill himself," which Barton corroborated. Barton agreed that Taylor wanted the police to shoot him.
Taylor's trial is scheduled to continue today.