NEW YORK, NY March 31, 2008 —A star witness in the trial of the three officers who fatally shot Sean Bell took the stand today. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more on the testimony of Trent Benefield, who was shot three times that night.

Trent Benefield said he had no idea who walked up to the car he was in with Sean Bell and Joe Guzman; he simply took it to be a strange man with a gun. According to Benefield the gunman who was actually Det. Gescard Isnora, didn't say anything, before Guzman told Bell to just start driving.

Benefield said he hardly saw anything because he was worried he was going to be shot and was blocking his face with his arms.

At several points Benefield contradicted what he told police investigators right after the shooting. That may be in part because he was heavily medicated after he was shot. But he is also the plaintiff in a $50 million lawsuit against the city and admitted on the stand he doesn't want to undermine his case.

Joe Guzman, the third man in Bell's car also wounded by police gun shots will take the stand tomorrow as the prosecution nears the end of its case.

Reporting from Queens, for WNYC, I'm Arun Venugopal.