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| Woman paralyzed in shooting testifies |
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Artesia Davis
Guardian Senior Reporter artesia@nasguard.com
Published: Jun 29, 2012
A paralyzed woman yesterday told a Supreme Court jury about a “silly choice” that left her confined to a wheelchair. “I made a silly choice. I was really trusting that night,” Inga Trotman said of her decision on April 17, 2010 to allow a stranger into the car she was driving. Prosecutors claim Tamiko Arthur, 25, took Trotman to a deserted area, shot her at pointblank range and left her to die. He is on trial before Justice Bernard Turner for armed robbery and attempted murder. Trotman, 22, testified she went to her coworker Tanagra Felton’s Pinewood Gardens home for the first time. Trotman said Felton invited her to spend the night and she borrowed her car to go home to get some clothing. Unfamiliar with the Pinewood area, Trotman said she lost her way as she headed back to Felton’s home around 1 a.m. Trotman said her brakes failed around the same time and she sought help from two men on the side of the road. She said one of the men fixed the brakes, but she was afraid that something else would go wrong with the car. She said she asked them to help her get back to Felton’s house. She said the man who fixed the brakes agreed and got into the driver’s seat, a move that would forever alter Trotman’s life. She said, “My life has changed greatly. Sometimes I feel hopeless; sometimes I just feel like dying.” Trotman said the man drove her to an isolated, bushy area, with few houses. She recalled, “I asked where he was going and he said he was taking a short cut.” The witness said the man parked the car and started searching for something before he produced a handgun. Questioned by Prosecutor Raquel Whymms, Trotman said, “I opened the passenger side and tried to run. He grabbed my hand. I just froze. I said please don’t shoot me. “My bag is in the back of the car and you could take whatever you want. He popped the chain off my neck and put the gun on my upper back. He shot me and I fell out of the car.” Trotman said the man sped off and fired two more shots in the air. In addition to the chain, the man took Trotman’s cell phone and purse, the court heard. The stolen Nissan Maxima belonged to Felton. Trotman said she prayed to God to send help, which eventually came about 15 to 20 minutes later. Trotman said the bullet is lodged in her rib cage, inches away from her heart. She said she required two months of hospitalization and is still undergoing physical therapy. The trial continues. Whymms, Patrick Sweeting and Linda Evans make up the prosecution team. James Thompson, who represents Arthur, had no questions for Trotman.
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