"Sage said I'm shit and I wasn't a crip"

Court started 15 minutes late today because an alternate juror was missing. She arrived and apologized profusely.

Yesterday, Brandon Watson took the stand in his own case. His attorney, Ms. Andrea Sullivan, had one defense expert Edwin Smith testify, and then Watson continued his testimony. Today, Stephen Buller, a digital media forensics analyst, testify about a video he "cleaned up" and "slowed down" for the jury in between Watson's testimony. Then Watson took the stand again, finished testifying about the incident at the Pearl and then recounted the Jambalaya incident.

The defense strategy of interspersing expert testimony relevant to both incidents and having Watson identify different photos of his injuries is very effective. The photos the defense showed were taken closer to when Watson was injured; the People showed photos of his injuries days later when his injuries and swollen eye had healed.

Watson said the damage to his eye at the Pearl incident was caused by Brian Edwards and Antony Besselieu-Hill.  They are the two alleged victims for Count 2 from the Pearl incident. Watson's eye was completely swollen shut.

Watson was released from Humboldt County jail after the Pearl incident. There was no police contact after that arrest. This was in  2016. Watson stayed in Humboldt for two months; then went back to Arizona. He returned to Humboldt in 2017 and that his when he started a relationship with Jennifer Mahoney. She testified in this trial as the People's witness. They have a child. Charges for Count 2 were not filed until later and after Watson was arrested and arraigned on Count 1, the murder of Peter "Bo" Triantos and this was in 2018.

Before Watson arrived at the Arcata Plaza with Jamal Lowery and the two women who were Lowery's acquaintances, he had two shots of tequila. He drank another five beers at a friend's house. The group arrived at the Plaza and "pulled into the Ace Hardware parking lot." The car belonged to one of the women who was driving. They went to Everett's in Arcata and Watson had another beer. They were there for "15 to 20 minutes. I was buzzed."

The group went to the Jambalaya. Watson did not go inside. "I was done with that scene. " He did not want to go out but "Jamal coaxed" him. Watson did not want to pay the cover charge so he stayed outside. There were 20 people. Watson saw Sage Rios, said, "What's up? I jokingly asked him about my money."

Watson said Rios was intoxicated and his pupils were dilated.  Rios became aggressive and "told me I wasn't going to punk him. He was 22 and a grown ass man."

Rios' fists were clenched. A couple of minutes later, Rios was joined by two other individuals. Watson was in the street, facing the front door of Jambalaya. "They started posturing.  One of Rios' friends was "a tall, thin Caucasian man with long curlish hair."Watson did not know him. He was later identified as Triantos. The other guy was "Sam" and he was later identified by Watson's girlfriend. 

"Sage started talking about gangs. Sage said  I am shit and I wasn't a crip." Triantos started laughing,"You? You aren't a crip." Triantos was standing on the curb with "his chest out."

Watson said based on his previous experience, "When multiple people are standing against me and verbally insulting me," this indicated a fight.

Watson "struck" Triantos in the mouth "because I knew I was going to be jumped. It was mostly Sage. The way he was behaving."

Watson was blinsided and could not maintain his balance. Three people were kicking and punching him in the face, head and all over his body while he was on the ground. His eye was swollen. "At the time, he could not tell who the three people were". The bouncer came and broke up the fight. 

Watson confirmed Lowery's testimony and this statement. "I apologized to him for ruining his night."

"I was bummed out; exhausted. I wanted to go home." Watson approached the woman who drove them there. "She was incoherent; not responding. Her pupils were ginormous."

Watson walked towards the alley where the car was parked. He stopped. "There was a huge group to my right. Sage kept coming up and calling me names." Triantos was pulling up his shorts, trying to engage Watson.  He did not respond to Triantos.

Watson kept walking towards the alley and got "hit hard in the head and saw stars. His hat was knocked off. " Watson believes the person behind him was Triantos. Watson said the person had long hair. He also saw the video. Watson's eye was "swollen shut" and his vision was "not good."

There was a group of people behind Watson "looming". Triantos "swung" at Watson and hit him in the forehead. Triantos tried to "swing 3-4 times" but only  made contact once.

Lowery was standing with the two women. There was no one in the alley to back him.

In the "flurry", Watson pulled his knife and he "hit Triantos in the mid section because I was in survival mode." Watson does not remember striking Triantos in the neck or back.

After  getting information from his attorneys and the autopsy, Watson realized he had stabbed Triantos in the neck and back.

"It took me a long time to cope that it was me."

Watson walked home. Lowery arrived shortly after. It was around "3 or 4 a.m." when he got home. He took his clothes off, looked in the mirror and saw his eye was "swollen shut". It wasn't until he took a shower later that he saw bruises all over his body.

The People filed a motion to amend in the middle of the jury trial, this Monday. That issue has not been decided, yet.

A man and woman were sitting with Victim Witness in court. I believe they are Bo Triantos' parents. I did not see Besselieu-Hill's mother. 

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