Flurry Enlivens Knight Trial

Flurry Enlivens Knight Trial

HOWELL-(AP)- Alvin W. Knight almost got shot yester day during his trial for the fatal shooting of State Trooper Albert W. Souden.

During the trial a paper fell from the defense table to the floor. Knight left his chair suddenly to grab the paper. Undersheriff Donald Davis, assigned to prevent Knight's escape, reached for his gun, Knight returned to his seat.

"I would have stopped him for sure if he’d started toward the door,” Davis said.

The prosecution contends Knight, 48, shot and killed Souden last September when the trooper headed for his home in Argentine to question him about a robbery.

The prosecution directed most of its effort toward trying to establish that Knight and Souden were together the day Souden was murdered. State witnesses gave conflicting testimony, however, and the prosecution was unable to clearly make its point. One witness said a state police car seen in Knight’s drive was of the type driven by Souden, but another testified the cruiser he saw in the drive was not the type driven by Souden.

The trial resumes Tuesday.