Page 146 of Strays
“Let’s say you arrive on the scene of a disturbance,” the DA says. “You see one man injured, unconscious, his face broken like the photos we’ve shown, and you see three much larger men standing over him. But these three men aren’t your fellow cops. Would you consider that use of force justified?”
Fontes doesn’t hesitate. “I don’t make calls based on size or numbers; I make calls based on behavior. I wouldn’t judge a situation by bruises.”
The DA doesn’t give up. “Officer Fontes, are you trained in restraint techniques? Techniques designed to stop a person from advancing without harming them?”
“Yes.”
“And if the Larsens had used one of those techniques, they could have protected their wife without harming Mr. Knolson?”
This time, Fontes hesitates for a beat before answering. “Yes.”
The DA presses his lips together. “No further questions.”
Judge Conway looks up. “Thank you, Officer. You may step down.”
Fontes nods and leaves the stand. I glance at him as he passes. We owe him more than we can say.
Judge Conway nods once. “Defense, next witness?”
Renner rises. “The defense calls Doctor Johane Larsen.”
I tense. Shane exhales through his nose, and Jay is so still he could have been made of stone.
One of the side doors opens, and Jo enters the courtroom with quiet resolve. The bailiff steps forward and swears her in.
Renner steps in front of her. “Doctor Larsen, can you state your occupation for the record?”
“I’m a medical resident,” she says.
He nods. “And your relationship to the defendants?”
“They’re my mates,” Jo says calmly. “They bit me on March twenty-second.”
“On the night of May eleventh, did you feel in any way threatened by Mr.Knolson?” Renner asks.
“Yes.”
“Can you describe how?”
She nods. “He spoke about me in a degrading way, like I wasn’t even there. Asked my mates how it was when I go into heat. Asked for some of what he called ‘pussy juice.’ Said to Kacy that if he gained our trust, we’d give it to him. Then he came at me right after saying all those things.”
“Why didn’t you run from him or ask for help?”
“I was embarrassed. Humiliated. I froze. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel threatened.”
“Why do you think your mate, Jayson, punched Mr. Knolson?”
“Because Jay thought he would touch me. Hurt me. He reacted and stopped Luc on the spot.”
“Did Jayson use excessive force?”
“No, he was actually very controlled. Jay is extremely strong. If he’d wanted to really hurt Luc, Luc wouldn’t have been out of the hospital three days later. Jay just stopped him.”
“Do you believe you were in real danger?”
“I believe a drunk man who had already made degrading sexual comments, who had been told to leave my house and returned anyway, was stumbling in my direction. Yes, I was in danger. I didn’t want to be touched by a man who had just talked about ‘getting some of my juice.’ I don’t think any woman would.”
“No further questions,” Renner says, and walks back to the table.
