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A prominent surgeon testified in court on Tuesday that he believed a robbery was about to take place during a high stakes poker game in Chattanooga, Tennessee last April when in fact police had commenced a raid on the property.
Dr. Neil Spitalyn said he feared being “mowed down with a machine gun”.
“It sounded like the front of the building had collapsed," he added.
Spitalyn claims he hid behind a garbage can before police came over and handcuffed him. Another officer shot one of the card players.
One player taking part in the illegal high stakes poker game, Clifford Billups, is charged with attempted first degree murder after threatening to fire at a police officer.
Chattanooga Police Officer John Patterson claims Billups was running away but had the gun facing in his direction.
"(Billups) began running slowly away while pointing a gun right at me," Officer Patterson said, "I was certainly in fear for my life and I fired my gun to keep that from happening. The only way I can describe it is I was looking down the barrel of a cannon and was about to get my head blown off."
After hearing that someone had been shot, Dr. Spitalyn announced he was a surgeon and police reluctantly escorted him to work on Billups.
"He was shot in the right flank. He was not in any dire situation,” Spitalyn said of Billups non-life-threatening injuries.
Officer Patterson said he repeatedly heard officers inside yell, "Police" and "Search Warrant."
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
