San Benito, TX (KRGV) — Prosecutors and defense attorneys rested their cases Wednesday in the trial of Rogelio Martinez, who is accused of shooting and killing San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez nearly three years ago.

The deadly shooting happened during a high-speed chase that started in South Padre Island on Oct. 17, 2023, and ended near Brownsville.

Martinez, 21, was previously identified by police as the shooter who fired at Resendez’s police unit, killing him. He faces the death penalty.

READ MORE ABOUT THE CHASE HERE

The state called three witnesses Wednesday afternoon. They were Dr. Elizabeth J. Miller, forensic pathologist for Cameron County, Norma Luna, forensic firearms analyst for DPS, and Texas Ranger Patrick O'Connor.

In court, O'Connor spoke about what happened that day, including the first chase after a traffic stop at SPI. He said Martinez's sister and another girl were in the red truck, struggled with officers, and drove away before the truck dropped them off.

O'Connor interviewed Martinez's sister, sought an arrest warrant for Martinez, and later interviewed him after a second chase in an SUV and the shooting that killed Resendez. The jury then watched footage of the interview.

In the video, Martinez said he was sober, was not on drugs, agreed to speak, and signed a paper.

"I wasn't thinking straight. I was just tired of everything," Martinez said during the interview.

READ ALSO: Suspects indicted in death of San Benito police officer Milton Resendez

Martinez said he did not want to shoot anybody but started shooting so police would back off. He said he feared for his sister and her kids in the red truck, adding that Rodrigo Espinosa-Valdez, who police said was the driver of the vehicle, told him to stop shooting.

The interview also pointed out Martinez was on probation, had been in county jail for theft and was in a stolen red truck. Martinez denied being in a gang, later talked about knowing people from different gangs, including the Gulf Cartel, and offered to show police where he dumped the guns.

"I was just [expletive] pissed," Martinez said.

After the video, O'Connor said Martinez helped officers retrieve the rifle and other guns they had not already picked up. He also testified the gun was about 10-12 feet from Resendez's vehicle when it was fired.

O'Connor also testified the window on the driver's side did not work and stayed intact, so a driver shooting from inside would have had to shoot through the glass.

Lawyers are expected to make closing arguments on Thursday.