DAY 2: Key witness testifies in trial of man accused of murder in fight outside Denny's

Thursday, June 14, 2018
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Blake Wise, 25, took the stand during day two in the trial of Terry Thompson, who is charged in the murder of John Hernandez. Wise was exiting Denny's with friends on May 28 just as Hernandez pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

On the stand, Wise said when Hernandez got out of the driver's seat of his truck, he could hardly stand. Wise said Hernandez stared blankly into space and their eyes met.
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"He would not quit looking in our direction," Wise said. "I felt something was going to happen."

Wise said Hernandez stood a few parking spots away, yelled at him, threw his hands in the air, and started walking towards Wise.

New video released in deadly fight outside Denny's


Surveillance video shown in court showed Hernandez's girlfriend tried pulling Hernandez back, urging him to stop.



Wise said he felt threatened.

RELATED: Murder trial begins for man accused in deadly fight outside Denny's
Complete opening arguments of the trial of Terry Thompson

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He opened his truck door and reached for his cell phone. Wise said at that point Hernandez yelled, "I have a gun too. I've got a 40 in my truck."

Wise believed Hernandez was referencing a 40-caliber handgun.

Wise got into his truck and called 911 as he drove away from the parking lot.

"I had a bad feeling something was going to happen that night," Wise said on the stand.
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The prosecution played Wise's 911 call from that night, which he could be heard telling the dispatcher he was worried Hernandez would get in the car and drive drunk with the child in the back seat.



Wise told prosecutors he drove to the gas station next to the Denny's about an hour later and saw several police cars with flashing lights. The next morning, he saw on the news Hernandez had died. Wise called detectives to let them know he had a run-in with Hernandez before Thompson did.

Wise was on the stand for about two hours before the court took a break for lunch.

DEATH AT DENNY'S: The fight,fatality and fallout of a fateful night
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