‘My Nose Just Explodes'

Off-duty officer Frank White faces nine years if convicted of shooting Rachel Silva and her son

A woman who -- along with her young son -- was shot last year by an off-duty police officer allegedly has a history of road rage incidents, according to the testimony of a woman who said she was attacked by Rachel Silva in 2003.
   
San Diego Police Officer Frank White faces multiple weapons charges in the case. His defense team is trying to establish that he was provoked by Silva on the night of the shooting.

On Wednesday, one witness had a similar story about Silva. Before Jessice Midgal took the stand, however, White concluded his testimony, spending just a few minutes on the stand in the morning.   

Throughout the day, the defense called several witnesses, including a former colleague who testified about White's character. The defense seemed to be trying to show the jury that White was a calm officer and that he feared for his and his wife's safety when Silva followed them into a shopping-center parking lot in Oceanside in March 2008.
   
On the stand on Wednesday, Migdal told the court that she encountered Silva in 2003, saying she accidentally cut off Silva while driving. Migdal said Silva followed her, yelling profanities, throwing a drink out of her car and into Migdal's vehicle, and eventually swerving in front of Migdal, then stopping and getting out of her car.

"Comes out of her car while I'm still strapped in my seatbelt, trying to figure out what the whole situation is, and reaches in my car and just punches me through my car, through the window, and my nose just explodes," Migdal told the court.

White faces as much as nine years in prison if convicted.

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