Prosecution calls mans actions warlike Police testify he shot at them during I-15 chase BY TIM GURRISTER_ Standard-Examiner staff tgurrister@standard.net OGDEN The prosecution painted Brian Lee Wood as "warlike" in his attempts to elude police in a wild, bullet-riddled chase on Interstate 15 as Wood's trial began Wednesday in 2nd District Court. The Jan. 6, 2004, chase, in which police said Wood hit speeds of 115 mph, began in Brigham City and ended with his tires impaled on tire spikes near the 12th Street freeway exit west of Ogden. Six felony charges against Wood resulted, including three of attempted aggravated murder for the three police officers cited as intended victims for the 12, possibly more, shots fired. A passing motorist drew three of the shots. No one was injured. The trial is scheduled to run through Friday before Judge Scott Hadley. "There's an old saying: 'War is hell,'" Deputy Weber County Attorney Brenda Beaton told the jury in opening statements Wednesday afternoon. "We now see it on a day-to-day basis on TV in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. But warlike behavior can hap-pen here on our own streets. Three police officers faced warlike behavior because of the defendant." The defense faced an uphill battle in proving its stance that Wood wasn't trying to kill anyone when he opened fire on four people and three vehicles while driving at high speeds on I-15. Defense attorney John Caine all but conceded Wood fired the shots, with five wit- A Continuing Saga The January 6, 2004, Shooting and Arrest Occurred Within City Boundaries June 23, 2005 nesses scheduled to testify he did, including Wood's girlfriend, who was in the car with him at the time. "I appreciate my colleague's zeal in talking about terrorism and Iraq," Caine said in his opening statement following Beaton's. "But this case is not about terrorism or Iraq. It's about what happened that day on the freeway." Only two shots Wood fired hit anything, Caine said, one taking out the windshield of the car he was driving, and the other hitting the lower passenger side door of the civilian's truck. "His actions did not rise to the level of intentionally and knowingly trying to kill anyone," Caine said. "He is guilty of violating the law. But he is not guilty of attempted aggravated murder." But Beaton said a nurse would testify to Wood saying, "I should have killed a couple of them," while being treated for a cut forehead after he was arrested. She also said an acquaintance would testify to Wood asking him where to get bullets that could pierce bullet-proof vests. Wood was avoiding a Clearfield detective, Mike Valencia, trying to arrest him on a warrant charging him in a Davis County stabbing. The chase started at the beginning of the afternoon rush hour when Wood raced out of a police trap laid in Brigham City. A state Adult Probation and Parole agent, Kim Holden, was in the car with Valencia chasing Wood when their car was shot at twice. Former Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Don Sagendorf was to testify to Wood shooting at him as well as civilian Frank Dawson. Wood had just been released from prison that fall, his fifth parole in 15 years. Prior offenses are limited to drug and illegal weapons possession charge.