The former Brewer man who was wounded nearly four years ago outside a downtown Bangor restaurant testified that Jordan David Bishop shot him as he ran from the shooter and dove into a stairwell for cover.
James Parent, 57, who now lives in Danforth, was shot in the back three times and a bullet grazed his head in the vestibule outside the entrance to Tesoro Italian Restaurant on Harlow Street, according to testimony.
Bishop, 36, is charged with aggravated attempted murder, attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault, aggravated assault, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and aggravated criminal mischief in connection with the shooting.
Parent’s testimony about being shot was the most dramatic information presented yet in Bishop’s trial, which began Monday afternoon at the Penobscot Judicial Center after jury selection earlier in the day.
Bishop has pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the incident that began shortly before midnight on May 11, 2019, and ended just after midnight on May 12, 2019, when the shooting occurred. Bishop has been free on bail since August 2019.
Parent was at Tesoro Italian Restaurant on Harlow Street in Bangor shortly before midnight on May 12, 2019, Penobscot County District Attorney R. Christopher Almy told jurors. Parent noticed Bishop, whom he did not know but who was “visibly intoxicated,” hanging around his truck.
The men got into a confrontation over Bishop allegedly urinating on Parent’s truck, the prosecutor said. That escalated to the point where Parent and several other patrons forced Bishop to the ground and bloodied his nose.
Bishop left the area but returned a few minutes later with a semi-automatic handgun and shot Parent, according to trial testimony and security videos shown to the jury.
Parent, a former boxer, testified Wednesday that he was concerned Bishop would damage the truck that Parent had borrowed from an uncle, so he went out to make sure the vehicle was not damaged.
The victim testified that he dove for cover down a stairwell after he was wounded. Parent also suffered injuries to his left side, shoulder and neck — in addition to the gunshot wounds — from falling down the concrete stairs.
Under cross-examination, Parent testified that he did not call the police when he saw Bishop urinating on the truck. He admitted that he pushed Bishop to get him away from his uncle’s truck.
He said he could see that Bishop was intoxicated, but believed he would leave so didn’t call 911. He also testified that it was up to the owner of the establishment to call police to remove an unruly patron.
Defense attorney Don Brown of Brewer has maintained that Bishop’s post traumatic stress disorder diagnosis means that the defendant, a veteran of the Iraq War, could not have formed the intent to commit the crimes he’s charged with.
When the incident took place, Bishop was waiting for a bed in a Veterans Administration hospital out of state to receive treatment, Brown told jurors.
District Attorney R. Christopher Almy told jurors in his opening statement that Bishop was highly intoxicated when he shot Parent, but acted intentionally when he pointed a gun at the victim and pulled the trigger.
The case is expected to go to the jury of eight men and six women, including two alternates, Friday after testimony Thursday from defense experts on the symptoms and impact of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The restaurant is under different ownership than it was at the time of the shooting.
If convicted of the most serious crime of attempted murder, Bishop faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
