KINGWOOD — Testimony continued Wednesday in the trial of Aaron Hoard. Hoard is accused of first-degree murder in the November 2019 shooting death of Grant William Felton Jr., of Terra Alta, outside Shorthorn’s Saloon.
The first witness called by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Megan Fields was Shiloh Robertson. At the time of the incident, Robertson was employed by as a bouncer at the Saloon.
Robertson described the atmosphere in the saloon as a little more hostile than usual. He said this was due to Hoard and a couple of people who were at the front of the stage where the band was playing. He said they were jumping around bumping into people.
“Grant was sitting about 8 or 10 feet from me at the bar,” Robertson said. “We said a couple of words. He was drinking a beer. When I saw Grant walk over to Aaron I walked over to them.”
Robertson said Felton told Aaron he needed to calm down and leave. He said he didn’t hear what Aaron said, but said Felton walked away.
“When I looked at Jason (Peaslee, the owner of the saloon) he gave me the sign to ask them to leave. It seemed to me Grant was trying to help them by telling them it was time to leave.”
He said he was inside the saloon when Felton was shot.
When questioned by defense attorney Belinda Haynie, Robertson said he was the only paid bouncer on duty that night.
“A lot of people were upset with Aaron for jumping around and bumping into people. I was concerned that a fight might happen,” Robertson said. “When Grant told Aaron he should calm down and leave, he didn’t act aggressive toward Grant.”
Robertson said Hoard didn’t want to leave and he was pushing against him to get around him. He said he put his arms under Hoard’s arms and was walking him out of the bar when Hoard went limp, then stood back up when they got about 5 feet from the door. He said as he was escorting Hoard out someone hit him twice, and the people who saw it grabbed him and took him out.
“I assumed he was with Hoard,” Robertson said.
Sam Sisler, a patron at the bar, was the next to testify. He said he and his fiancee were at the bar for the Halloween party and to listen to the band.
Sisler said Hoard and Brian Teets were bumping into people on the dance floor.
“They were being obnoxious. One lady was knocked off her bar stool, I don’t know how it happened,” Sisler said. “Hoard was asked to leave. He was with Brian Teets and several other people. At one point I believe Mike Felton and DJ Wilt was the first people to escort them outside. Aaron and Brian was angry.”
He said 5 or 10 minutes later they returned and once again refused to leave. He said Felton had Hoard by the shoulders and pushed him across the road to the truck.
“I went to the truck because my buddy (Felton) was there. Usually when you ask someone to leave and they come back it results in a confrontation,” Sisler said.
He said within 10 to 20 seconds he heard gun shots.
“After the shots it looked like Aaron was on the running board and Grant was outside the truck. I was around the front corner of the truck,” Sisler said. “After the first shots it looked like Grant went toward him. Then there was more shots.”
He said from his position it looked like Felton tried to tackle Hoard and take the gun.
“But I can’t say that for sure,” Sisler said. “There was hands on the gun but I couldn’t see whose hands they were because there was a muzzle flash.”
He said when he got around the truck he could see Felton had been shot. Sisler said Felton was lifeless and slumped over. He said there was one or two more shots and something made a hole in his shirt and he saw blood.
“I don’t know what it was. An officer said it was probably a shell casing because it was hot,” Sisler said.
Angela Freeland was the next person who testified. She testified that she saw a woman in the back seat of Hoard’s truck climb over to the front seat and “blindsided” Felton and they both fell to the ground.
“Aaron’s hand came out above the door. He was sitting in the seat with his arm and leg outside the truck. I heard gun shots,” she said. “Grant was on the ground wrestling with the woman and people were yelling ‘don’t hit, it’s a girl, it’s a girl.’ After the initial shots Grant didn’t get up. Someone grabbed me and another girl and pushed us between two vehicles.”
Shawn Moats was the last to testify before the noon break. He testified that the bar was “elbow-to-elbow” that night. He said Hoard bumping other dancers didn’t seem intentional.
He then testified to the incidents that occurred after Hoard left and returned to the bar.
“All I saw was arms come up and they took Aaron out. The whole bar just followed like a swarm of bees,” he said. “I tried to get Brian to leave because I didn’t want him to get beat up. Aaron put an arm out and fired four shots. I went around the truck to get Wendy and Angela out of the way.”
He said he took the two women across the road and told them to get in the bar.
“I heard someone got shot then I heard Grant’s name. I saw someone giving him CPR.” Moats said. “It felt like the whole incident happened in no more than five minutes.
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