7.Laura Lee — Direct
194 linesLAURA LEE, Sworn
COURT CLERK: Have a seat. State your name. Spell your first and last name for the record. Keep your voice up and speak into the mic so everyone can hear you.
LAURA LEE: My name is Laura Lee, L-a-u-r-a, L-e-e.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. WATKINS:
MR. WATKINS: Good afternoon, Miss Lee.
LAURA LEE: Good afternoon.
MR. WATKINS: How are you currently employed?
LAURA LEE: I'm a paramedic in Boston Emergency Medical Services.
MR. WATKINS: How long have you worked for the Boston Health Commission?
LAURA LEE: Twenty-eight years.
MR. WATKINS: What's your current position?
LAURA LEE: I'm a paramedic.
MR. WATKINS: How long have you been a paramedic for?
LAURA LEE: Nine years.
MR. WATKINS: Can you describe some of the other positions that you've held at Boston Health Commission?
LAURA LEE: I started out as a basic EMT, working in the ambulance; and after a few years, I was promoted to the position of lieutenant; and then a few years of that management -- I didn't like it -- I became a paramedic.
MR. WATKINS: Why did you decide to go back to being a paramedic?
LAURA LEE: I -- honestly, I missed taking care of people. I missed patient care.
MR. WATKINS: What shifts were you working in 2013?
LAURA LEE: I worked the evening shift, or 1500 to 2300, and 3 to 11 would be what people know it as.
MR. WATKINS: Directing your attention to April 19 of 2013, was that the shift you were working?
LAURA LEE: Yes, it was.
MR. WATKINS: When you arrived -- first of all, when you came down for your shift on April 19th, what was going on in the city of Boston?
LAURA LEE: The lock-down was in effect, and they were hunting for the other suspected bomber.
MR. WATKINS: So when you arrived to work on April 19th, were you assigned to go to a particular place?
LAURA LEE: Yes, I was. The Boston SWAT team, the Special Operations, was part of the search, and we align ourselves with them. In any kind of warrant they have to serve, any raid they have to do, we go with them. So there had already been a paramedic unit and a BLS unit assigned during the day, so we were relieving them. It was their shift change. We were going to fill in.
MR. WATKINS: We've heard already about the two-tier system. Were you matched up with a Boston Life Support Unit?
LAURA LEE: Yes, we were.
MR. WATKINS: Were both of you in Watertown?
LAURA LEE: Yes, we were.
MR. WATKINS: You were both dispatched to the same place?
LAURA LEE: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Describe the scene getting to Watertown and arriving in Watertown?
LAURA LEE: Watertown is out of our jurisdiction, so I couldn't identify anything specifically in the streets. But the streets were closed and -- so we were just being directed in, Follow this person. Another guy would wave that way. There we were and we parked.
MR. WATKINS: Again, were you there with the Boston Life Support Unit, also?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh, yes.
MR. WATKINS: Once you got down to that position in Watertown, just describe generally what you saw of people there.
LAURA LEE: There seemed to be police departments from all over, each one of them with their Special Operations thing. There was just a lot of people. I saw people I hadn't seen in years.
MR. WATKINS: How long did you stay down at that position?
LAURA LEE: We were there, I would say -- about 3:30-ish we arrived, quarter of 4, and it was dusk when things started changing. So that's probably a couple hours, three hours.
MR. WATKINS: During those hours that you were waiting there, were you also monitoring the radio, the radio chatter, turret tapes?
LAURA LEE: We -- our radios that we have on ourselves didn't have the scanning capabilities, but we had a lieutenant and a deputy that were there that were passing on anything that seemed -- any info that changed. And then we were just speculating.
MR. WATKINS: Did there come a time when you became aware that a suspect might have been located?
LAURA LEE: They were just about to call it off when all of a sudden we saw a helicopter fly in the back direction behind us and a few more cruisers moving along at a high rate of speed. Then there was some chatter on the radio. I don't know what was said. They seemed to say they think they had something.
MR. WATKINS: You're going to have to speak up just a little bit.
LAURA LEE: And then they think they had someone.
MR. WATKINS: So what did you and your crew and the Boston life -- the basic life support truck do?
LAURA LEE: We then decided we would just wait and get into the queue, the line, of people going -- proceeding out to the new scene.
MR. WATKINS: Was it a pretty long line at that point of people?
LAURA LEE: It was getting pretty long. Everyone was going there.
MR. WATKINS: Did you end up on a particular street in Watertown?
LAURA LEE: As I just said, I don't know exactly what the streets are. We pulled in. We took a right. And we wanted to park off to the side where we would be close enough to the scene to get to any patients and then also far enough back that we would have an egress before we got blocked in by everyone arriving.
MR. WATKINS: Did you later learn that was --
LAURA LEE: Franklin street.
MR. WATKINS: -- Franklin Street in Watertown? As you were pulling up trying to find a place -- appropriate place to park, did you hear anything?
LAURA LEE: As we were about to ready the equipment, we started to hear gunfire.
MR. WATKINS: Once you were able to find a place to park, what did you do?
LAURA LEE: We then just moved ourselves between two houses. There seemed to be having -- occurring over there, so we just hid between the houses between so we were safe.
MR. WATKINS: And then did you stay there for a while?
LAURA LEE: We stayed there for a while, until we were told everything was clear.
MR. WATKINS: And how much time went by before you heard it was clear?
LAURA LEE: Not very long. The gunfire had stopped and more units arrived and they said okay. Then we just decided to get out as we usually do, put our stuff on the stretcher, get all our equipment ready to access the scene.
MR. WATKINS: Once you got all the equipment ready, how long did you wait there?
LAURA LEE: Probably two hours, maybe, at least.
MR. WATKINS: In that ensuing time, did you hear anything?
LAURA LEE: They sent off some flash bangs. The police used those.
MR. WATKINS: What do you understand flash bangs to be?
LAURA LEE: They're less than lethal or non-lethal means of -- they create a very loud noise. It sort of temporarily stuns them with the light and the sound. And then that's how they usually breach a door. That's the only other times I've ever seen them use it, not in this situation.
MR. WATKINS: As a paramedic, why was it important to you to know how flash bangs worked?
LAURA LEE: Just in case in a more closed environment, if there had anything -- any other wounds or potential injuries that I would have to be mindful of.
MR. WATKINS: How many of the flash-bang explosions did you hear?
LAURA LEE: I can't say with any certainty, like, two or a few more, single digits, definitely.
MR. WATKINS: Once you got the all clear -- did someone give you the all clear, that it was time to come into the backyard in Franklin Street?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh. They told us that they had the suspect in custody, and then we were escorted down to where he was.
MR. WATKINS: I'd like to show you what's been admit -- what has been -- about to be admitted as Exhibit 3060G.
THE COURT: Yes. So because we've had a discussion, it will be admitted.
(Defendant's Exhibit No. 3060G received into evidence.)
MR. WATKINS: Can you see that up on your screen?
LAURA LEE: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Is that -- what is that a picture of?
LAURA LEE: When we arrived on scene, that was the suspect who was in custody. There were other FBI, ATF -- there was every state police, every organization there. Medics were there first and they were just assessing him. And that's where we found him.
MR. WATKINS: What did you do when you saw Jahar Tsarnaev on the ground like that?
LAURA LEE: My partner and I split up. He came around to the head, wanted to sort of assess a level of consciousness, looked to see if he was breathing. I grabbed a pulse, and I saw there was another wound on his leg. And we just sort of just -- you go through your tier: Do you treat it now? What do you do? What are we going to have to do? But he was stable at the time and awake and alert. So we then put the scoop stretcher. It's a frame sort of thing, like a backboard but, it's concave and it kind of cups the patient. So we rolled him, put him on that, and then put him on our stretcher and then proceeded back to the ambulance where we could, under the bright lights, get a better look and do a secondary survey.
MR. WATKINS: Going back to the picture, when you saw him on the ground there, his hands are behind his back?
LAURA LEE: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Did you observe him to be handcuffed by the time you got there?
LAURA LEE: He was handcuffed, yes.
MR. WATKINS: When he went on the scoop stretcher, was he handcuffed?
LAURA LEE: Yes, he was.
MR. WATKINS: So you and other members of your team took him back to the ambulance?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh.
MR. WATKINS: Tell us about getting inside of the ambulance with Mr. Tsarnaev.
LAURA LEE: We got inside, the bright lights on. I sat at the head, and my partner, Mike, started -- we uncuffed him so that his arm could be extended and we could start an intravenous. Mike started the I.V. and --
MR. WATKINS: I'm sorry. I just want to interrupt you there. He was handcuffed when he was on the stretcher at some point?
LAURA LEE: Yes, yes. Then when we were inside, we uncuffed him so he could lay -- lie on his back and his arm could be fee --
MR. WATKINS: When you say you uncuffed him, do you have handcuff keys yourself?
LAURA LEE: I do, but I didn't do it myself. It was one of the other accompanying men that came with us.
MR. WATKINS: Tell us about that. When you got into the truck, were there law enforcement agents also getting into the truck?
LAURA LEE: Yes, there were.
MR. WATKINS: How many got into the truck?
LAURA LEE: Probably would be three more maybe.
MR. WATKINS: Did more try to get in?
LAURA LEE: Everybody wanted to get in. But, you know, there was only room for that many, so --
MR. WATKINS: Who had to put their foot down about the number that could get in?
LAURA LEE: My partner and I. He's, like, Okay. That's it. You couldn't fit any more either, so --
MR. WATKINS: So you were inside with brighter lights, and that is the time that you started your assessment?
LAURA LEE: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Now, we've -- each member of your advance life support team, the two of you, have different roles once you get in the ambulance?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh, yes.
MR. WATKINS: What was your role?
LAURA LEE: My role was at the head so observing his gunshot wound. I saw where we think it entered in the back. His hair was all matted, so we didn't really sort of examine it very, very closely or it might have started to bleed again. He had a wound along the jaw here that was open. It looked like -- you want detail? It looked like one of the fragments had probably gone off. His cheek looked a little deformed. And in order for the eye to focus, like, all the muscles have to have the same tension from each side so it stays in the middle. It looked like one of his muscles had been damaged or cut, and his eye sort of -- it didn't have that contrary force to keep it in line. So it looked like it was rolling back in his head. Once I determined that's what it was, I had him focus at me, and I could see he could make it focus. Just when he was resting, closing his eyes, it rolled back. I went on, looked in his airway, see if we had to intubate him, if any further medical treatment was required. I bandaged his side, put a cervical collar on him to kind of hold the bandage against his head. And Mike then started the I.V.
MR. WATKINS: At this point, was the ambulance stationary or moving?
LAURA LEE: It was stationary so that we could just -- so you could start the I.V. and so that we could, you know, notify -- tell everybody to get out of the way so we could leave.
MR. WATKINS: You talked about the eye rolling back in the head. Absence some other explanation, is that a cause for concern for consciousness?
LAURA LEE: It would look as if he was going unconscious, rolling back, perhaps about to seize. But once I spoke loudly to him, told him to open his eyes, he was able to follow commands. He opened his eyes, and he could keep his eyes fixed, and I could see that that wasn't what it was.
MR. WATKINS: Is it part of your assessment to ask the patient some questions?
LAURA LEE: Yes, where he had been hurt. Bullets, by nature, sometimes fragment off, and so we wanted to make sure he was breathing fine. Does this hurt your chest? Can you take a deep breath? Does it hurt your abdomen? Can you move your legs? Can you move your hands? Do you feel this? And then ask about any medical problems or any medications he might have taken, any allergies he might have. He was able to respond to all of those questions.
MR. WATKINS: So there are several questions that you were asking. You reeled off all of them. But each one, you would stop and get some kind of answer from him?
LAURA LEE: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Are they generally yes-or-no answers?
LAURA LEE: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: Can you feel this? A date of birth, were you able to get that from him?
LAURA LEE: Yes.
MR. WATKINS: He was responding to all of your questions?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh.
MR. WATKINS: Did you ask him about drug allergies?
LAURA LEE: I asked him, yeah, any allergies, and he said he was allergic to cats. That's all he --
MR. WATKINS: Allergic to what?
LAURA LEE: Cats. That's the only allergy, not any medications.
MR. WATKINS: And so the questioning that you did of him took place all through the trip to the trauma center?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh.
MR. WATKINS: Where was the trauma center?
LAURA LEE: The Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital.
MR. WATKINS: How long did that take?
LAURA LEE: About seven minutes, I believe.
MR. WATKINS: During that period of time, was he ever combative?
LAURA LEE: The other -- the other members, the other men that were there, wanted to dress the wound on his leg. He had a wound, perhaps gunshot wound, on his leg. And they wanted to sort of dress that. So they -- I was up here and there was no space to move. They were closer to the leg. So someone put a dressing on it. Apparently, it was very tight and he was mad and --
MR. WATKINS: Let me --
LAURA LEE: Got loud.
MR. WATKINS: -- stop you there. You talked about the other men in the ambulance.
MR. MELLIN: Your Honor, may she be allowed to finish the answer?
THE COURT: I think she should finish the answer.
MR. WATKINS: I'm sorry. I thought --
LAURA LEE: I'm sorry.
MR. WATKINS: Continue on. Finish.
LAURA LEE: No. They just -- they put it on and then he -- it was too tight. It was uncomfortable for him.
MR. WATKINS: You talked about the other men. Was it you or Sean Murphy that -- what was that that was put on? Was it a tourniquet?
LAURA LEE: It was a tourniquet-like bandage, yeah.
MR. WATKINS: Tourniquets are painful, is that --
LAURA LEE: They can be, yeah.
MR. WATKINS: That was not something that you put on the leg?
LAURA LEE: I didn't put it on. I had no access to the leg from where I was.
MR. WATKINS: And Sean Murphy did not put that on?
LAURA LEE: No, no.
MR. WATKINS: So it was one of the other three individuals in the advance life support?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh.
MR. WATKINS: Did you know any of those people?
LAURA LEE: I didn't. I had never met any of them before, no.
MR. WATKINS: Do you know whether any of them had any medical training at all?
LAURA LEE: I think one of them -- I can't answer with any surety really. I just imagine.
MR. WATKINS: So aside from that, saying that the tourniquet was too tight, was he compliant with all of your directions and your questions?
LAURA LEE: Yes. He answered all my questions.
MR. WATKINS: And did he ever try to get out of the ambulance?
LAURA LEE: No, but he was -- he had seat belts and straps on him, and he was handcuffed to the bed.
MR. WATKINS: When he got to -- when you arrived at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, did he ask you a question?
LAURA LEE: He asked where his brother was.
MR. WATKINS: Did you answer him?
LAURA LEE: I myself did not.
MR. WATKINS: Did one of the other folks in the truck answer him?
LAURA LEE: Yes. They said he would find out soon. That's it.
MR. WATKINS: Sorry. Can you pull the mic up a little?
LAURA LEE: They said he would find out soon.
MR. WATKINS: And that was one of the other individuals in the truck?
LAURA LEE: Uh-huh.
MR. WATKINS: May I have just a moment, your Honor?
(Discussion held off the record.)
MR. WATKINS: I'm sorry. I think we were both going a little too fast there. What was the question that he asked you as he was -- as you arrived at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center?
LAURA LEE: He said, Where's my brother?
MR. WATKINS: And you didn't answer him?
LAURA LEE: No.
MR. WATKINS: You have to answer.
LAURA LEE: No. I'm sorry. I did not. Not my place to answer.
MR. WATKINS: But one of the other members did?
LAURA LEE: Yes, sir. And they said, You'll find out soon.
MR. WATKINS: I have nothing further, your Honor.
MR. MELLIN: Your Honor, may I have one moment?
(Discussion held off the record.)
MR. MELLIN: Thank you, your Honor. Nothing further.
THE COURT: No questions?
MR. MELLIN: No.
THE COURT: All right. Miss Lee, you may step down.
LAURA LEE: Thank you.
MS. CONRAD: Defense calls Catheryn Charner-Laird.
COURT CLERK: Ma'am, want to come up here to the box, please. Remain standing and raise your right hand.