Reagan Chown: Heartbreaking footage from WA policeman Anthony Woods’ body-cam shown at alleged killer’s trial

Distressing footage from the body-worn camera of a young WA policeman’s last conscious moments has been played at the trial of the car thief who fatally struck him, showing how the tragedy unfolded in just moments. Reagan Chown admits driving recklessly to escape Const. Anthony Woods and Sgt Michael Fisher as they tried to arrest him and two passengers in a stolen car in Ascot on June 8, 2023. The harrowing vision was played several times on day two of the 25-year-old’s manslaughter trial in Supreme Court on Tuesday as Cont. Woods’ heartbroken family watched on. The footage from the 28-year-old’s bodycam showed the interior of the police vehicle as it chased a Holden Cruze into a cul-de-sac and then pulled up alongside it. Leaping out of the passenger seat, Const. Woods opened the driver’s side door twice after Mr Chown pulled it shut the first time. As the Cruze began to reverse, the police officer deployed his Taser but became trapped between the door and car as it hurtled backwards at high speed. The Holden then swung around — mounting a kerb and hitting wooden bollards — and dragging Const. Woods underneath it. The footage then cut out. Const. Woods never regained conscious and died in hospital three days later. Mr Chown is arguing he accelerated involuntarily due to the effect of the shock from the Taser. Christopher Markham, a use of force trainer at the WA Police Academy, said an effectively deployed Taser discharged 95 pulses over five seconds and did cause involuntary muscle stimulation. The impact varied from person to person, depending on factors including clothing and body fat, he said. Photos of Taser probe punctures on Mr Chown’s right elbow and left upper thigh shown in court revealed he was lean at the time before bulking up in custody. And Const. Woods had achieved the ideal spread of at least 30 centimetres, correctly landing one below the belt-line and one above, Mr Markham said. “But ... it will only affect the muscles between the two probes,” Mr Markham said. He said downloaded pulse log data from the officer’s device confirmed the full five-second discharge cycle had run, and not been cut off at the two-second mark, which was possible by lifting the safety switch. All of that meant the shock had the potential to have caused neuromuscular incapacitation, he said. But Mr Markham conceded, under questioning by defence barrister Paul Bevilacqua, that it was impossible to know whether the impact on Mr Chown had been mild or extreme. WA Police vehicle examiner Peter Morris said the Holden had no defects and it was not possible to simply slam it into reverse due to safety mechanisms. When in park, a driver had to put their foot on the brake, and when in neutral, a push button release on the gear had to be depressed. WA Police major crash unit reconstruction officer Peter Price was asked whether power steering had exaggerated the movement of the car when it wildly swung around. He said he believed a “voluntary” steering action had to have been applied in the first place. “If there is no steering input, the vehicle would have travelled in a straight line,” Mr Price said. Forensic toxicologist Jonathan Grasko testified about the level of methylamphetamine detected in Mr Chown’s system, saying he expected it would have produced “features of intoxication”. Users of the drug had a tendency to risk-take and had unrealistic expectations of their abilities, he said. “Generally they are not as good as they think they are,” Dr Grasko said. Justice Joseph McGrath has not yet decided whether to release footage from the trial to media amid concerns it is too upsetting, particularly for Const. Woods’ family. The trial continues.