Officers testify in Midland man's murder trial

Warning: Details in this article may be disturbing or triggering to some readers.

Two veteran provincial police officers described the emotional moments as they arrived at the scene of a stabbing along Galloway Boulevard in Midland on the night of December 16, 2021 when they found a man on the ground bleeding from a stab wound to his upper chest.

The first officer told the court he witnessed a man on the driveway of a home. He testified Chris Forrester was groaning and had blood on his chest. He told the jury he performed first aid by applying a dressing and pressure to the wound.

He told the court Forrester was in serious pain and tried to get up while rolling on the ground. The officer testified Forrester said “I just wanted to talk to him," when describing what he was doing at the scene near his landlord's home.

Paramedics then arrived and Forrester was dead within minutes.

The second officer testified when he arrived on scene he witnessed Rick Patrick being distraught and remorseful. He described Patrick as emotional and in quite a bit of stress, “freaking out.”

He said Patrick was visibly upset “Not crying but almost crying.”

Officers were shown photos taken at the scene. They told the court they found a cloth shopping bag and backpack on the ground beside a vape pen and knife along with a black tactical-style glove that appeared to have blood on it.

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Seconds after arriving on scene one officer testified Patrick told him “I did it” and that Forrester had been running toward him from the street when he got his knife to defend himself from his attacker.

Chris Forrester died after being fatally stabbed in Midland, Ont., on Dec. 16, 2024.

Patrick, the officer testified, while under arrest in his police cruiser, told him Forrester was his tenant and they had several past disputes that included Forrester slashing his tire and breaking a window.

The court heard Patrick had been trying to evict Forrester from the trailer he was renting from him nearby.

Patrick maintains he killed Forrester in self defence. He is accused of second-degree murder.

The trial is scheduled to continue Tuesday, when it’s expected the court will hear further Crown witness testimony.