State's witnesses took the stand Tuesday in the aggravated battery trial against defendant Billy Little.

Testifying were Bruce Smith and Billy Little's brother, Robert Little.

Little is accused of shooting Bruce Smith, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the right chest and arm on June 4, 2002. The shooting took place inside the Good Times bar in the 200 block of South Buffalo Street, Warsaw.

Smith, a part-time Good Times employee, was in the bar to help bartender Taylor Robertson with any heavy lifting. Smith testified Tuesday afternoon.

Smith reiterated the events of June 4, 2002, from his perspective. He said he was sitting at the Good Times bar and remembered when the Little brothers came in, along with Ricky Daniels. Smith said he knew Daniels but did not know the Littles.

He described the argument that ensued between the Littles and bartender Taylor "Chief" Robertson. Robertson refused to serve them anymore alcohol. Daniels left the bar. The Littles, Smith said, went down a hallway ramp and stopped at the interior wooden door.

"I walked down in front of Chief. The door latch was up and this character here," Smith said, pointing at Billy Little at the defense table, "was swinging it back and forth. He was saying 'Chief, Chief, I'm gonna kick your ass.'"

The door closed as the men, accompanied by Chad Kruger, went down the ramp. Smith was first to the door and he pushed it open with his right hand.

"I saw the spiral of the gun. He was grinning and looking at me. Then I saw a flash and smoke," Smith said, adding that he flew back, heard a pop and knew he'd been shot in the upper right chest. "The guy in the white shirt shot me."

Smith was helped back to the bar area by patrons who applied pressure to the wound. The police and emergency medical services were summoned. He was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital and underwent surgery that morning.

Three years later Smith says the injury still causes him pain under the right shoulder blade and he has lost dexterity of his right hand.

Smith said he did not identify Little from a "photo line-up" presented to him at the hospital by Warsaw police officer Perry Hunter.

Prosecutor Steve Hearn asked Smith how he knew it was little today.

"Because of the way he looked at me, grinned at me when he pulled the trigger."

Robert Little testified he and his brother, Billy, began drinking around 1 p.m. June 3 in Columbia City. In Warsaw they pawned tools at Paradise Pawn and purchased more alcohol before going to Ricky Daniels' house.

After a few hours, the three of them left Daniels' visited JD's Roadhouse and Rex's Rendezvous before walking across Buffalo Street to Good Times.

"The Chief told Billy he wouldn't serve him," Robert Little said from the witness stand. "Ricky left and went across the street. Billy and me followed a minute or two later. I was out on the sidewalk."

Robert said he saw his brother step away from the door and when it opened, "Billy pulled an object out of his pants and I heard shots, like fireworks. I went across the street. Billy came after me."

Robert got in the passenger seat of a dark green Plymouth Neon, with Billy driving. The men stopped at a farmhouse along Crystal Lake Road. Billy left the car, walked across a field and into a tree line. He came back shirtless.

"He [Billy] said he thought it was the big guy and thought he shot him in the head," Robert said of the brother's conversation that morning. Later Robert said Billy said he shot the wrong guy and he wanted to shoot the big guy.

Ricky Daniels also testified for the state Tuesday, describing how the Little's came to his house the afternoon of June 3. He said he was a friend of their father's and had known the brothers for years.

Prior to entering Good Times, Daniels said Billy talked about Taylor Robertson because the bartender had ordered the brothers out and banned them from returning a couple of days before.

According to Daniels' testimony Billy Little said, "If that bartender has an attitude with me, I'll shoot the (expletive deleted)."

Daniels asked Billy if he had a gun. According to Daniels Billy said "You don't know do you, Ricky?"

"I said 'No, and I'm not sticking around to find out.'"

Daniels said he returned to Rex's and was arrested on an accessory to murder charge shortly thereafter.

Warsaw police officer Perry Hunter told the jury how he found a white shirt with a Notre Dame logo and a .25-caliber Browning semi-automatic, without magazine, in a wooded area along Crystal Lake Road.

Also testifying Tuesday were Good Times bar patrons Donna Morrow, Chad Kruger and Thomas Krizmanich MD.

The trail continues today in Kosciusko Circuit Court with Judge Rex Reed presiding. Andrew Grossnickle is Billy Little's attorney. [[In-content Ad]]