COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first witnesses took the stand Wednesday in the murder trial of a former Columbus vice squad officer accused of fatally shooting a 23-year-old woman in 2018.
Andrew Mitchell was charged with murder and involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fatal shooting of Danna Castleberry. Mitchell was indicted on the charges in 2019.
Mitchell had picked up Castleberry as a part of an undercover solicitation operation. Columbus police said Mitchell shot and killed Castleberry after she stabbed him in the hand.
During Wednesday's trial, prosecutors showed body camera video from Columbus police officer Matthew McDaniel from the day of the incident.
“I remember him sitting, seated next to the vehicle, kind of laying back against the door. Officer Carter was rendering aid,” McDaniel said.
Prosecutors also showed surveillance video synced up to audio that Mitchell recorded.
In the recording, Castleberry could be heard yelling "do not put your hands on me." Mitchell responded saying "she has a knife, she just cut me!"
In a video that is too graphic to show, Castleberry laid motionless in the backseat of Mitchell's unmarked car.
Defense attorney Mark Collins spoke to another Columbus officer on the stand.
“The detective asked if you recognized this person, the same person you dealt with the week prior?” Collins asked.
“Yes,” responded Columbus Police Detective Laura Evans. Collins then asked Evans, “The week prior you had to help Detective Mathis on a woman he had to mace?” She said, “Yes.”
Evans was working vice that day with Mitchell. She said Castleberry may be the same woman who fought another detective the week prior.
Detective Greg Sheppard investigated the shooting and says there were two knives, a gun, and drug paraphernalia found in the car.
Collins asked Sheppard, “Did you find any drugs on Ms. Castleberry?” Sheppard responded saying they found a crackpipe and a piece of foil or a piece of material that had heroin on it.
The defense contends Castleberry put her foot to Mitchell's throat during the struggle.
The trial is expected to last two weeks.
Last year, Columbus City Council approved a settlement of more than $1 million in Castleberry's death.
Mitchell is also facing federal charges for allegedly forcing women to have sex with him under the threat of an arrest, pressuring others to cover up crimes and lying to federal investigators when he said he'd never had sex with prostitutes.