Tremaine Jones trial day 3: Fallen Officer Corder's partner testifies
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Emotions remain high as the trial continues for Tremaine Jones, the man accused of shooting two Milwaukee police officers last summer, killing one.
Wednesday, we heard from fallen Officer Kendall Corder's partner, Christopher McCray, as well as Jones' ex-girlfriend.
The courtroom was full when McCray took the stand, with fellow officers and Corder's family present. Corder's sister again stepped out of the room sobbing, as body camera footage from McCray and Corder the night of June 26 was shown.
Before the video was played, McCray explained that they were dispatched to a different district than usual the night of the shooting, and Corder was supposed to be off that night. As they got to the area of 25th and Garfield, they had to walk for a few minutes until they heard voices in the dark. McCray said he could see muzzle shots come from the bushes -- at first only hearing one shot, then several more. Both officers were hit three times.
Jeneera Jones, the ex-girlfriend of Tremaine Jones, took the stand earlier in the afternoon. She said she had kicked Jones out of their home two nights prior to the officers getting shot, because she found out Jones was cheating on her. Jeneera and her friends fought the girl he was reportedly cheating with on June 25, and again the next night when the officers were shot.
Jeneera Jones' 911 call was played from the night of June 26, when officers Kendall Corder and Christopher McCray were shot. Jeneera says she called police, urging them to respond because Jones was outside of her apartment with a gun, asking for another man to come out.
Prosecutor Grant Huebner: "So, Maine shows up -- the defendant. When the defendant shows up, what do you notice about him?"
Jeneera Jones: "He has a book bag."
Huebner: "A big book bag?"
Jeneera Jones: "Yeah."
Huebner: "What else does he have?"
Jeneera Jones: "A gun."
We've seen the backpack and gun presented as evidence as well as a black ski mask, which Jeneera said Tremaine was wearing, and which is seen at one point in video recorded by one of her friends.
When the state asked Jeneera what Tremaine was doing outside with the firearm, she starts crying, and that's the first time we see Tremaine show some emotion in this trial -- shifting in his seat, looking uncomfortable and rubbing his neck. Later, the defense cross-examined Jeneera about some inconsistencies in her statements.
"You told the cops on 911, 'This man blacked my eye.' But that wasn't true?" Defense attorney Abigail Ruckdashel asked.
"Some of it wasn't, but some of it was," Jeneera said.
"So, you lied," Ruckdashel said. "Got it."
Earlier in the day, we saw new video from the night the officers were ambushed. The state presented witnesses that were neighbors from the area of 25th and Garfield, where officers Kendall Corder and Christopher McCray were shot.
Video from the Ring doorbell camera the night of June 26, 2025, shows a group standing outside an apartment complex at 25th and Garfield, and someone who the state has claimed is Tremaine Jones, waving a firearm, asking for someone inside to come out because of a fight over a girl.
In the videos, you see a man with and without a backpack -similar to the one we saw presented Tuesday as evidence which had Jones' personal information inside of it. The man is also described by the witnesses as carrying "a large gun," which they agreed looked like the one the state showed them.
The women who called 911 say they had heard several gunshots being fired, fearing for their lives.
"Were you scared?"
"Yes," the woman said. "Bullets don't have any names on it."
In cross-examination, the defense asked the woman if she saw the shooting involving police officers. She said no, and that she'd called 911 three times before police showed up and saw the group scatter, reinforcing the defense's position that Jones may have left before the officers were shot.
So far, we've heard from a total of 16 witnesses -- 10 Tuesday and seven Wednesday. The state's witness list reaches over 170, so this trial is still in its early stages.
Stick with CBS 58 on-air and online as we continue to follow this trial.