Tremaine Jones trial, Officer McCray testifies
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher McCray testified Wednesday in the trial of Tremaine Jones, the man accused of wounding him and killing Officer Kendall Corder in a shooting last summer.
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Live updates | April 1, 2026
Court breaks
3:38 p.m.:
The state informed the court that all available witnesses had been called for the day, and Judge Michelle Havas read instructions and dismissed the jurors. Court is scheduled to resume at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 2.
PHOTO GALLERY: Pool images from April 1, 2026
Surveillance captures shooting
2:55 p.m.:
MPD Det. Matthew Truman took the stand. He was assigned to the gun violence division at the time of the shooting and previously worked in electronic evidence.
Truman said that detectives recovered video from home surveillance cameras on 24th Place, north of the alley where the officers shot. Truman walked the jury through the videos in court, testifying to the timeline of events and the people seen in the footage across multiple clips. He noted that the time stamps on the video from one of the cameras were out-of-sync with the actual time.
At one point, video showed Corder and McCray walking and flashing handheld lights on 24th Place. There was no audio, but as the officers entered the alley from 24th Place, Corder suddenly dropped to the ground and McCray ran for cover.
On cross-examination, Truman testified that detectives did not find video while canvassing the area that showed anyone fleeing the shooting scene.
Corder’s bodycam video
2:14 p.m.:
Ryan Casey, an MPD homicide detective, testified that he reviewed Corder’s body-worn camera footage as part of the investigation. The state played footage from the night of the shooting for the jury.
The footage showed Corder holding a rifle as he and McCray responded to the area of 25th and Garfield, where they’d been called about a subject with a weapon. It showed them walking toward 24th Place and an alley, where the officers were ultimately shot.
In the video, Corder was heard saying he thought someone was in the bushes. A series of gunshots rang out, and the camera pointed toward the sky as Corder dropped to the ground. McCray could be heard yelling in the background. Casey testified that at no time did the video show muzzle flashes or the person who was shooting.
The defense had no questions.
Bullets collected at hospital
2:14 p.m.:
The state called MPD Homicide Det. Justin Sokolowski to the stand. He was sent to the hospital after the shooting to collect evidence that may be relevant to the investigation.
Sokolowski testified that bullets, removed from Corder and McCray’s bodies, were among the items of evidence he collected at the hospital.
The defense had no questions.
Bullet fragment in tactical vest
2:03 p.m.:
MPD Homicide Det. Brian Maciejewski testified. He was tasked with documenting McCray’s equipment as part of the investigation into Corder’s death.
Maciejewski testified about bullet strikes to McCray’s tactical vest, and the prosecution showed the vest to the jury. He said they found a spent bullet fragment in the layers of Kevlar.
The defense had no questions.
Wounded officer Christopher McCray
1:20 p.m.:
The court returned from its lunch break and heard testimony from McCray himself. He testified that he was working with Corder, who was filling in for another officer, on the night of the shooting. They had worked together before and were both assigned to District 2, which covers a portion of the city’s south side.
McCray said they were called to respond to “shots fired” near 25th and Garfield, which is in District 3. He testified that they were sent outside their district because there were no District 3 officers available to respond to the “priority” call at that time.
Corder was the driver of their squad. McCray testified that they pulled up with their lights off, because when responding to a person with a gun, officers do not want to draw attention to themselves. He said he got out with a handgun, and Corder got out with a rifle. They did not see anyone at first, but some people outside directed them to the east.
The state played footage from McCray’s body-worn camera in court. He testified that they were looking for a subject when he heard a voice say something about a shooting, and they went to investigate. It was dark, and they could not see where the voices might have come from, but they walked in that direction.
McCray testified that they’d just started to enter an alley off 24th Place when he heard gunshots and saw muzzle flashes come from the bushes. He disengaged after hearing the gunshots – reporting “shots fired” and “my partner’s hit.”
The bodycam footage showed McCray returning to his partner, who had dropped to the ground, while repeatedly crying out “Corder” and “no.” He then picked up Corder’s rifle and ordered whoever was in the area to stay away while repeatedly calling for support. He said a person in a white shirt approached him, be was not sure if that person was there to help or harm.
“Shots fired, shots fired! My partner’s down!” McCray is heard yelling in the video. “We need squads here ASAP, we need ASAP!”
McCray had been shot in the foot, leg and back. He stayed with Corder, pleading for him to come to, but Corder did not have a pulse and was not breathing. Eventually, other officers arrived to to help.
In court, McCray was in tears after the video was played. Some jurors were seen wiping their eyes.
The defense had no questions.
