Two SEALs testified they saw Gallagher plunge his knife into his neck, including Special Operator Corey Scott, who stunned the court when he said he was the one who ultimately killed the teen by plugging his breathing tube with his thumb as an act of mercy. "I assume they care about killing civilians," he said. We've received your submission. During the deployment, the platoon had men in two bombed-out towers near the Tigris River east of Mosul. It was something that I heard earlier that stuck out to me Hes a medic. The case has laid bare challenges among U.S. special forces as the United States increasingly relies on such troops, which make up only 2% of the military yet carry out most of its battles around the globe. This article first appeared in 2019. Chief Craig Miller, he said, asked him at one point whether he would "cooperate" with others in reporting him. Whos f-cking courtroom is this? Tolbert said he fired a WebWeeks before the trial, Tolbert, who was accepted to the famed SEAL Team 6 that killed Osama bin Laden, sent a text urging his teammates to speak up no matter what was at Dille, clearly uncomfortable before responding, then said, Development Group.. Dille admitted that Navy SEAL sniper Special Operation 1st Class Dalton Tolbert who had deployed with Gallagher and was slated to testify against him on Special Operator Dalton Tolbert, a sniper who was in Chief Gallaghers platoon in 2017 and is now assigned to SEAL Team Six, testified on Friday that he had Attorney Tim Parlatore told court on Friday that Navy SEALS wanted to get rid of their Chief, Eddie Gallagher is accused of murder and attempted murder in Musul, Iraq 2017. The lead prosecutor was removed after allegedly tracking the defense teams emails to find a news leak, and the lead investigator acknowledged on the stand making mistakes. Special Operations Chief Craig Miller, who was also part of The Sewing Circle, testified that he saw Gallagher stab the captive multiple times with a custom-made knife Gallagher would carry in the belt loops of his pants. The lead prosecutor was removed after allegedly tracking the defense teams emails to find a news leak, and the lead investigator acknowledged on the stand making mistakes. Dille and other SEAL witnesses have said in testimony that they have received online threats. On Friday, Special Warfare Operator First Class Dalton Tolbert testified that on the day of the alleged stabbing, a group of petty officers first class met together to discuss it. Because Special Operator Scott was just a foot away when the captive was stabbed, and remained with the captive until he died, he is considered a crucial witness in the trial. ", The defense team for Gallagher has accused some SEALs of conspiring against him to have him removed from leadership, since they did not like his style and aggressiveness. Gallagher, 40, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Jess Vasquez Cant, who pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy charge, told judge he tarnished the publics perception of the Navy, 13th annual Marine Corps Trials set for Feb. 28 to March 12 at Camp Pendleton. SEAL sniper Dalton Tolbert told the court he did not recall who started the chat group but that the intent was to talk with others who were disturbed by what they saw on the deployment and decide what to do. I aimed to the side far to the side and fired, he said, He ran from the river bank to a building, but the door was locked, Tolbert said. "That's when I saw the red mark on his back and I saw him fall for the first time. Time to man the fuck up fags., If the motherfucking courthouse burned down, I did it, Tolbert wrote, according to the source. "As soon as I looked at those four girls, I saw the girl in the gray dress clutch her stomach," Vriens said. San Diegos Golden Hall shelter to close, hundreds of homeless people to be relocated, See how much San Diego Countys school superintendents were paid in 2021, To help solve the child care crisis, new legislation would cap families costs and pay providers more, State high court says being a cheerleader on social media not enough to support gang conspiracy verdict, San Diego police want to power up some Smart Streetlights; add license plate readers as crime-fighting tool, Should backcountry builders fund city sidewalks and bike lanes? The Sewing Circle members tried to distinguish themselves as the True Brotherhood vs. the Real Brotherhood, which supporters of Gallagher have coined for themselves. The testimony prompted defense attorneys to again call for charges against Gallagher to be dropped, but prosecutors, through a spokesman, said they are still pursing the murder charge. He testified that after the stabbing, the captive was still in stable condition, but that he then placed his thumb over the captives breathing tube, asphyxiating him. Text messages obtained by law enforcement officials show that Chief Gallagher, who is well known among Navy SEALs, spread the names of his accusers to other SEALs on both coasts. He later boasted in a text, got him with my hunting knife. Defense lawyers say it was just a warriors attempt at dark humor. Navy SEAL, Joshua Vriens testified Friday that he saw one girl in a group of 12-to-14-year-olds clutch her stomach and fall. Gallagher, who has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder stemming from his 2017 tour of duty in Iraq. However, the immunity agreement covers only truthful testimony, and is void if he is found to have lied under oath. At that point, the judge, Capt. He said the date stuck out in his mind because he thought the man was probably a father. Thanks for contacting us. He later boasted in a text, got him with my hunting knife. Defense lawyers say it was just a warriors attempt at dark humor. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. As, Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Dalton Tolbert, 7 Veteran-Friendly Manufacturers That Are Hiring, The 6 Types Of Contractors You Encounter Overseas, Heres How Marines Fared On The New Physical Fitness Test. Some of the men called the area Murder Alley. Mr. Ferguson also confirmed the authenticity and nature of the email, but declined to comment further. The Navy official said that Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents and Navy prosecutors would be able to testify in a perjury trial that the medic had repeatedly given them a very different account of the captives death: that he saw Chief Gallagher stab the captive two or three times, not once; that he saw blood rushing from the stab wounds; that the wounds were fatal; and that Special Operator Scott had watched the captive stop breathing and die from those wounds. According to the outlet, former Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Dylan Dille on Wednesday admitted that a group of SEALs on a WhatsApp group chat had disparaged the judge in the Gallagher case, joked about burning down the courtroom, and talked about not caring if civilians were killed. He said he had never told investigators that he killed the captive because no one had bothered to ask. When asked whether he would like to serve with Miller again in a SEAL platoon, Graffam said, "I don't feel as confident about it." Blood started to pool and I knew it was a square hit in the back." After plans were discussed about going to the commodore, an investigation was opened and Gallagher was arrested. The lead prosecutor was removed after allegedly tracking the defense teams emails to find a news leak, and the lead investigator acknowledged on the stand making mistakes. He told the court his dream of doing covert operations with Team 6 is likely over now that hes been publicly identified in the case. Among the witnesses to testify Friday was Dalton Tolbert, a member of SEAL Team 7 who served with Gallagher in Mosul in 2017. When asked by Parlatore who Tolbert worked with, Dille acknowledged it was SEAL Team 6. I saw Eddie Gallagher shoot someone who didnt deserve to die, Tolbert said. The seven-sailor jury at the court martial must decide whether the fighters death was murder as alleged by the prosecution or a mutiny by sailors under Gallaghers command in Iraq, as the defense contends. His testimony on Thursday blindsided some of his friends in the SEAL platoon who text one another regularly in a group chat that they call the sewing circle, according to one SEAL in the circle. Tolbert said he had not yet deployed with the unit, which is based in Virginia Beach, Va. "I probably won't," he said. Miller said he told the platoons officer in charge about the stabbing during their tour but that nothing happened. The medics testimony in court appeared to conflict with all of those statements, as well as with photos offered in evidence at the trial that show a pool of blood on the ground by the victim. Spotting for Gallagher in the tower that day, Graffam said, he called out the target to him and he fired. The trial had been delayed when a former prosecutor and Navy investigators were found to have attempted to track defense attorneys emails as part of an investigation into media leaks. Special Operator Dalton Tolbert texted fellow SEALs later to say he fired more warning shots to save civilians from Gallagher than he shot at Islamic State militants. Goldbeck will run for the fourth district seat, now held by Nathan Fletcher, which could open in two to four years depending on the success of his state Senate bid. One SEAL claimed that he tried to justify it by calling him 'just an ISIS dirtbag' once he had died. Lt. Jacob Portier, the officer in charge, has been charged separately for overseeing the ceremony and not reporting the alleged stabbing. (She) went down on all fours.. Most were granted immunity to protect them from being prosecuted for acts they described on the stand. Another group of SEALs radioed Gallagher's men to tell them they had him and other witnesses testified that the Chief said 'leave him, he's all mine'. I shot more warning shots to save civilians from Eddie than I ever did at ISIS. NCIS Agent Warpinski, SEAL Master Chief Brian Alazzawi, and expert witnesses are expected to testify. He said, I stabbed him in the side and then I looked him in the eyes and stabbed him in the neck, Vriens testified. He told the court that he believes he will probably be cut from SEAL Team 6 because of his part in the trial and the public attention it has drawn. Its a f------ joke., Tolbert said on the stand, I think this is a very fair trial. SEALs, it seems to me, have been seeing themselves as God-like on the battlefield, and there is a real danger in taking that view of ones unit or ones self, said Gary Solis, a former military judge and Marine Corps prosecutor who teaches law at Georgetown University. Tolbert is also said to have messaged other SEALs: 'Somebody fire this p***y a** f*****g judge' and 'This legal process is a joke'. I want to say it to all, if you choose Eddie Gallagher and this real brotherhood and if affects myself or anyone i consider a true brother, I think our friendship will end there. Tolbert said the man, who was wearing traditional garb, then stood back up and ran away. Under cross-examination, Tolbert said he did not tell other snipers over the radio that the man he was firing on was a civilian he was just trying to scare away. According to the testimony, as the old Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. Members of the platoon who reported Chief Gallaghers actions to superiors more than a year ago say they have come under heavy pressure since then over breaking a widespread culture of silence in the secretive, tight-knit SEAL teams. Not sure how to handle him, he texted the sewing circle. He claimed he later heard a voice on radio say 'you guys missed him but I got him' and it sounded like Gallagher. Gallagher, a chief special warfare operator, is charged with killing a wounded ISIS prisoner by stabbing him in the neck while providing medical treatment. Parlatore asked. 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Scott said the young mans original injuries - a leg wound and collapsed lung - were not life threatening but that he was breathing through the tube when Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher stabbed him in the neck. According to NBC News, defense attorney Tim Parlatore asked Scott during cross-examination, How did you do it?, Scott responded, I put my thumb over his tube until he stopped breathing. Parlatore asked, Did you suffocate him? Scott responded, Yes.. Graffam confirmed he said just that. In one picture, hes holding up his knife in one hand and holding the militant by his hair with his other hand. FILE - In this Thursday, May 30, 2019, file photo, Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher leaves a military courtroom on Naval Base San Diego with his wife, Andrea Gallagher, in San Diego. A jury of five Marines and two sailors, one a SEAL, will weigh whether Gallagher, on his eighth deployment, went off the rails and fatally stabbed the war prisoner as a kind of trophy kill, or if the boy died from wounds suffered in an airstrike and Gallagher is being falsely accused by junior SEALs trying to permanently oust a platoon chief they hate. Did [Tolbert] say he worked with a bunch of people who don't care about killing civilians? Parlatore asked. And Marine Staff Sgt. Contact the author here. Scott said Gallagher did stab the boy in the side. Navy investigative documents obtained by The New York Times show that investigators had asked Special Operator Scott a number of times, in the presence of other agents and lawyers, to detail the cause of the captives death. The Sewing Circle, the WhatsApp group chat, formed among select members of Alpha platoon after they returned to San Diego from their deployment in 2017. 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