Police describe efforts to get Monahan to come talk to them

The second full day of testimony in the trial of accused killer Kevin Monahan concluded with a lengthy discussion of efforts to convince Monahan to come out of his home after police arrived.  

Monahan, 66, has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Kaylin Gillis, who was a passenger in an SUV that had mistakenly turned up his driveway. 

Officer Mark Nelson of Granville Police Department heard the call on the scanner about a possible shooting in Hebron. He and his partner heard the location as Patterson Hill Road and decide to respond because they are about 10 minutes away. They arrive and turn up the driveway about 50 yards to where it curves. The house is 100 yards ahead.   

First Assistant District Attorney Christian Morris asks why they stopped so far away.   

“There was a call of a possible shooting. We were here to maintain, secure the perimeter, try to make contact and figure out what was going on,” Nelson said.

Then, there is the lengthy back-and-forth exchange between police and Monahan. They said they needed to talk to him and asked him to come down where they were. Monahan said to come up where he was.   

They are talking with Monahan, who wants to know why they are there.  

At that point, he told the dispatcher to tell Monahan they were investigating a noise complaint, in order to deescalate the situation.

On cross-examination, he acknowledged that was a lie that he told the dispatcher to tell Monahan.   

Police officers testified as to why they approached Monahan’s residence without lights and sirens. They had their headlights and spotlights for illumination.  

“Due to the call being dispatched of shots fired, it was more important to keep our presence not so open as we don’t know what’s going to happen when we arrive on scene, whether we’re going to encounter shots,” said Cambridge-Greenwich Police Officer Jason Nussbaum.   

Nussbaum, like State Police troopers and Washington County sheriff’s deputies, had initially pulled into the driveway next door.   

When they redeployed to Monahan’s residence, there was a back-and-forth exchange where police said they needed to talk to him and asked them to come down where they were. Monahan said to come up where he was. 

At one point, Nussbaum said, officers began walking toward Monahan’s door when he invited him. Then, he went back inside. 

Frost asked Nussbaum this question: 

“Was there a point where you told him: ‘We’re not leaving until you do?”   

“I did,” Nussbaum responded.  

At some point, the undersheriff and another officer spoke with Monahan and the officers retreated.  

“You weren’t running scared,” Frost added.

Nussbaum said “no.”  

“Was there ever a point where you gave Mr. Monahan his Miranda rights,” “No.”   

“Did you hear anybody else do that.”  

“No,” Nussbaum said.  

Testimony will resume on Tuesday.