WEST JORDAN — It's been just over one year since a miscommunication between neighbors escalated into a shooting, leaving one man a paraplegic and one charged with attempted murder — and the details revealed in court Monday made the events surrounding the incident no more clear now than they were then.
Monday marked the first day in the trial of Reginald George Campos, 44, who has been charged with attempted murder with injury, a first-degree felony, and two counts of aggravated assault, both third-degree felonies, in the shooting of his neighbor David Serbeck. Prosecutor Nathan Evershed said the "peaceful, typical" summer night became a "nightmare" as a result of the "unjustified rage" of Campos.
"The defendant ... said he saw a gun and said he heard Dave rack the gun and 'then he let him have it,' " Evershed said. "Dave's gun is six to seven feet away from him, and the safety is in the 'on' position, preventing anyone from racking the gun ... I will ask that you hold (Campos) accountable."
Defense attorney Rebecca Skordas told the jury that Campos is an accountant and family man, who felt he was being threatened by someone who had already frightened his daughter, leading him to take action.
"I don't suspect you will all agree with what Reggie Campos did," Skordas said, "but this case isn't about gun control, it's about self-defense. You will have to put yourself in his shoes, in the shoes of a father dealing with hysterical girls who believe they are being followed."
Skordas told the jury that Campos fired only after he heard the "unmistakable" sound of Serbeck racking the gun. But Evershed told the jury that Serbeck placed his gun on the ground and kicked it away from his body while Campos watched.
Campos sat attentively in a suit as Serbeck recounted hearing the "gurgling" sound of blood entering his lungs and flowing from his chest and using his own finger to stop the bleeding. He said he had the presence of mind to instruct those around him on how to offer him aid and to direct police to the gun to prove "I did everything I was supposed to do" in terms of showing that the gun was not within his reach and that the safety lock was on.
Evershed told the eight-person jury Monday that Serbeck had recently been asked by his neighborhood homeowner's association to put together a neighborhood watch group in light of a recent rash of thefts and burglaries. Neighbor Troy Peterson showed him some photos he had received from a police officer friend, and the two then decided to take a drive around and look for what activities may be prompting the crime, Serbeck testified. That seemingly innocent patrol led to another patrol, both of which unwittingly frightened Campos' teenage daughter, who called her father because she and her friends were scared, ultimately leading to the shooting that left Serbeck in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down.
The basic facts are agreed upon by all who testified in 3rd District Court Monday. It was around 11:15 p.m. when Peterson and Serbeck decided to take a drive. While out, they encountered two teenage girls, including Campos' then-16-year-old daughter. What Serbeck said to the girls and whether he slowed or stopped the vehicle to talk to them remains unclear. Serbeck testified that he told the girls to be careful walking home. Peterson and the teenage girl who was with Campos' daughter said the exchange was limited to a simple "Hi, how are you?" Regardless, the girls were slightly rattled, as they were already nervous walking home in the dark. Serbeck and Peterson thought nothing of the exchange and returned to their homes. A few minutes later, though, a silver sedan, similar to one of the suspicious vehicles police had identified, drove past Serbeck's and Peterson's homes, and the two men decided to go back out and see if they could track the vehicle. What they didn't know was that the same two teenage girls were driving the vehicle, along with two of their friends, and they all became alarmed when the same vehicle that stopped for them earlier appeared to be following them. One of the girls testified in court that they were "freaking out" when they called Campos multiple times to tell him they were being followed.
Campos collected his gun, entered his vehicle and escorted the girls home before tracking down Serbeck and Peterson, pulling in front of them and slamming on his brakes, prompting both Serbeck and Campos to leave their vehicles. Serbeck said Campos' gun was immediately drawn and pointed at his vehicle. He said he attempted to "neutralize" the situation by explaining to Campos that he had a gun but was going to put it down, which he testified he did in Campos' plain view. Charges allege Campos fired two shots at Serbeck, one of which severed his spinal cord.
Campos has yet to testify, but has long denied allegations that he shot at an unarmed man. The trial is scheduled to continue through Friday.
e-mail: emorgan@desnews.com