Jury sees county controller block Detroit cops in video

DETROIT — A Pittsburgh businessman appeared intoxicated and was continuously confrontational, and his wife, Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner, ignored repeated police orders and tried to block their attempts to evict him from a hotel in March, according to testimony and evidence presented Friday in a courtroom here.

Prosecutors presented about 25 minutes of videos, including from the body cameras of two city police officers and a police cruiser, in the trial of the businessman, Khari Mosley.

Throughout, an agitated Mr. Mosley attempts to persuade staff and security guards at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel to let him into the room he shared with his wife.

In a loud voice, often gesturing adamantly, Mr. Mosley repeatedly taunts police and hotel staff with accusations of harassment and discrimination, while Officer Edmond Witcher attempts to reunite him with his wife.

“You all are not up on the Constitution in Michigan,” Mr. Mosley, who is black, says in a police video.

He repeatedly criticizes hotel staff and security who are black for their treatment of him.

“Don’t give me that brother stuff, now!’’ Mr. Mosley says.

Officer Witcher, a 19- year veteran of the force who answered a call from hotel staff, goes to Room 1002 to see whether the woman registered there is Mr. Mosley’s wife.

The video from his body camera shows the door ajar when Officer Witcher arrives at the room with hotel security.

He expresses concern for his safety and enters the room cautiously.

As he calls out for anyone who might be present, Officer Witcher expresses concern about the safety of the occupant.

Then he finds Ms. Wagner under the sheets, giggling, in bed.

He eventually pronounces her intoxicated, saying to someone nearby, “She’s wasted, dude.”

When Officer Witcher, other police officers and hotel staff walk a loud Mr. Mosley up to his room, a

video shows the defendant adamantly refusing to enter it.

Standing down the hall from the door he has been trying to enter for about an hour, Mr. Mosley holds his hands above his head as if to surrender.

He says to Officer Witcher and hotel staff, “I’m going to stand here until you all go in!”

Later, in the extended conflict, the video from Officer Witcher’s body camera shows Ms. Wagner struggling with him to block the door to the room as police attempt to re- enter it.

She grabs the officer by the arms and contorts her body to obstruct more of the doorway, as he tries to push in.

As police and hotel security move Mr. Mosley onto an elevator to evict him from the hotel, Ms. Wagner enters the elevator first, ignores five orders to leave and engages in a struggle with police trying to block them, the video shows.

Mr. Mosley tells Ms. Wagner, “You are bugging out, Chelsa!”

Mr. Mosley is charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, both misdemeanors.

Ms. Wagner is not on trial in this case. But she is charged with a felony, resisting and obstructing a police officer, and a misdemeanor, disorderly conduct. Her trial has been set for November.

Mr. Mosley’s lawyer, Charles Longstreet, told District Court Judge Kenneth King the businessman will testify Monday when the trial resumes.