One punch versus repeated beatings; That's the difference in two witnesses' stories about the night ODU student Paul Johnson was killed.
David Grimm Jr. is charged with murdering Paul Johnson. His friend, Chase Johnson, is charged with assaulting the victim.
The first witness, David Grimm Jr.'s friend, told a judge Chase Johnson and the victim got into a physical fight outside of The Edge bar near ODU. The witness admitted that Chase punched Paul.
He went on to say, after the fight between Chase and Paul broke up, David Grimm Jr. came out of nowhere and punched Paul in the face.
He says Paul fell to his knees, then face-first into the ground, and that's where the fighting ended. The witness said "Grimm was just being a friend."
But that's not the same story people in the courtroom heard minutes later when another witness took the stand. The second witness said he watched the entire fight from his bedroom window.
He said he saw a group of people fighting, and someone came from behind, punched Paul Johnson in the back of the head, then hit him over and over again.
This witness also said after Paul fell to the ground, the man picked him up, and began hitting him again, then ran off in the other direction.
The medical examiner also testified. She said Paul Johnson died from a punch to the back of his head.
During the hearing, Grimm's attorney told the judge he thinks is client shouldn't be facing a murder charge, instead saying it should be reduced.
As for Chase Johnson, who is accused of assaulting the victim, he will be back in court at the end of the month.
