Juan Quiroga, 20, sits the courtroom on Tuesday Jan. 15, 2019. Quiroga is accused of shooting an AK-47 assault rifle at Smith County deputy during a March 21, 2016 incident. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

In the fourth day of testimony in the Juan Quiroga trial, the jury saw a slow-motion version of the dash camera footage from a Smith County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle that came under gunfire during a pursuit in 2016.

That video showed at least 12 rounds hit the pavement in front of and around the deputy’s Chevrolet Tahoe, and four or five of those rounds could be seen coming from the driver’s side of the vehicle where Quiroga, 20, is accused of shooting at the deputy with an assault rifle. 

Quiroga faces a first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault against a public servant with a deadly weapon for his alleged role in a March 21, 2016, incident. He could spend up to life in prison if convicted. 

During the incident, deputies attempted to stop a car off of Texas Highway 64 West in western Smith County, but when the deputy turned on the vehicle’s lights, the driver fled and the chase began. Quiroga is accused of firing at two sheriff’s vehicles during the pursuit.

Deputy Corey Cameron, the man leading the pursuit, was the only witness to testify on Friday.  

He told the jury he was terrified and wondering why they were shooting.

“What’s the big deal about pulling over?” he said. “My training and experience kicked in and my adrenaline kicked in.”

Cameron explained the dash camera footage to the jury.

He said he got behind the vehicle on Highway 64 West near the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport and followed the car to a convenience store parking lot. 

Cameron said he made a U-turn on Highway 64 and went back toward the car that went through the parking lot and turned north onto Thompson Lane.  

Cameron activated his lights in an attempt to pull the car over for going through the parking lot without stopping but the car showed no sign of stopping.  

Cameron pursued the vehicle onto County Road 46 (New Harmony Road), where he said the shooting began. 

He said thinks the shooting lasted about 10 seconds and he had to back off of the car because he was losing control of his vehicle.  

“I didn’t know why my vehicle was acting like it was,” he said. “It would slide and lose traction and I had almost hit some mailboxes. I had to stop. My vehicle wouldn’t continue.”

Cameron said he would have continued to chase the car if his vehicle had not been disabled.

“I get paid to protect the citizens of Smith County and it’s my job,” he said

Cameron said a Drug Enforcement Administration agent involved in the investigation pulled up to him and looked at him to make sure he had not been injured. 

Cameron said he got off duty that night shortly after the incident and went back to work with his K-9 partner the next day.  

The defense asked Cameron about his bulletproof vest and whether he was told a known drug dealer, Ricardo Pineda, was in the vehicle with drugs and guns.  

Cameron said he knew Pineda was in the car and that he was wearing his ballistic vest, which can stop a 9mm round but would not stop a round fired from a rifle.  

Pineda was the target of a monthslong, multiagency drug investigation when the shooting occurred. Authorities had Pineda under surveillance the night of the shooting for dealing methamphetamine at an RV park in Smith County. 

During the pursuit, Pineda and Quiroga were accused of firing at two sheriff’s vehicles. Bullets struck the lead vehicle multiple times, leaving it disabled. Cameron and his K-9 partner were unharmed.

Judge Jack Skeen with the 241st District Court recessed the court shortly before 9:30 a.m. when the state rested its case.

Due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, court is scheduled to resume on Tuesday with Quiroga’s defense team giving opening statements.