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WEBVTT TERRI: RIGHT.THE JUDGE THIS MORNING CALLED ITA DISGRACE.HE MADE A SCATHING REBUKE TO THESHERIFF'S OFFICE INVESTIGATORS.THIS WAS BEFORE THE TRIAL BEGAN.THEN SERGEANT MICHAEL CUSTERTOOK THE STAND, SEEMINGLY NOT ATALL NERVOUS.HE ACTED OUT HOW HE SHOT SETHADAMS WITH A FAKE GUN, POINTNGIT AT JURORS, JUST FEET AWAYFROM ADAMS' FAMILY SERGEANT MICHAEL CUSTER ARRIVEDFOR COURT TO TESTIFY FOR THEFIRST TIME ABOUT THE NIGHT HESHOT AND KILLED SETH ADAMS ONADAMS' ONE STOP GARDEN SHOPPROPERTY IN 2012.BUT IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIMEJURORS HAVE SEEN CUSTER'SEXPLANATION.THEY'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS VIDEOOF CUSTER TELLING SHERIFF'SINVESTIGATORS WHAT HE CLAIMEDHAPPENED THAT NIGHT AS HE SAYSHE HAD A VIOLENT ANDCONFRONTATIONAL ADAMS PINNEDBETWEEN THE DOOR OF ADAMS' TRUCKAND THE CAB, ADAMS REACHING FORWHAT CUSTER THOUGHT WAS AWEAPON.>> AS HE CAME AROUND I THINK HECAME TO THIS SIDE.BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH ACTIVITY,I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE.I THINK I BASICALLY TRIED TOPUSH AWAY AND JUST WENT BOOM,BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, THAT'S WHATRECALL.TERRI: BUT IN THE COURTROOM,CUSTER ACTED OUT A DIFFERENTSCENARIO SAYING AS SETH WHIRLEDOUT OF THE TRUCK CUSTER BACKEDUP AND FIRED AS HE WAS TURNINGHIS BACK AND RUNNING AWAY.I WAS BEYOND SCARED, I WASTERRIFIED.IN MY 24 YEAR CAREER, IT WASWITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOSTTERRIFYING MOMENT OF MY LIFE.WHERE CUSTER WAS STANDING WHENHE SHOT ADAMS IS A MAIN POINT OFCONTENTION BECAUSE THE BULLET,CASINGS, AND BLOOD TRAIL AT THESCENE ALL INDICATE THE TWO WEREACTUALLY AT THE REAR OF THETRUCK.WHICH CUSTER SEEMED LIKE HE WATRYING TO EXPLAIN IN COURT BYSAYING HE WAS BACKING AWAY WHILESHOOTING.THIS VIDEO IS ONE OF THE THINGSTHE JUDGE BLASTED BEFORE TRIALBEGAN.JUDGE DANIEL HURLEY SAYINGINVESTIGATORS HAD DONE SO MANYTHINGS WRONG, SUCH AS NOT HAVINGCUSTER RE-ENACT THE SHOOTINGNEXT TO AN ACTUAL TRUCK, HURLEYCALLING IT SHOCKING SAYING, THISINVESTIGATION FROM BEGINNING TOEND HAS BEEN SLIPSHOD AND SHODDY.A DISGRACE.THE COMMUNITY HAS A RIGHT TOKNOWGIVEN THAT, COULD THE JUDGEOVERRULED THE JURY'S DECISION?YES, HE COULD ISSUE SOMETHINGCALLED A JUDGMENTNOTWITHSTANDING THE VERDICT IFHE THINKS THE EVIDENCE AGAINSTCUSTER AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICEIS OVERWHELMING.CUSTER IS LIKELY TO BE BACK ONTHE STAND TOMORROW FOR

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In a a remarkable mid-trial rebuke, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hurley blasted the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for its investigation into the shooting death of Seth Adams by a sheriff's deputy. His words were said without the jury present. Hurley said in listening to the testimony so far in the trial against Sgt Michael Custer and the sheriff's office, he was "simply shocked" at the laundry list of things that were not done in the investigation. "This investigation from beginning to end has been slipshod and shoddy- it's a disgrace," said Hurley. Hurley noted that the lead detective, Christopher Neuman, testified he could not reconcile discrepancies in Custer's account of killing Adams yet sent the case to the state attorneys office with no mention of those inconsistencies. "He did not think he had the responsibility to rectify those inconsistencies in the case. I have never in my life seen anything like this," said Hurley. "The community has the right to know," he added. >>Download WPBF 25 News App: Apple IOS | Android Hurley also sharply rebuked crime scene investigators for failing to measure the distance between Custer's and Adams' vehicles and to take certain items into evidence. Hurley also said he was astonished that in the taped re-enactment of the shooting Custer was not asked to demonstrate by a truck nor to hold an actual gun. The scathing criticism came after the defense asked to introduce a 40 minute video they had made of Custer demonstrating how he used his gun on the shooting range and where the shell casings were ejected when the gun was held in various grips. The Adams' family attorneys objected strongly saying they were blindsided and had only been informed of the video the night before the preceding. Hurley agreed that the video was evidence not simply demonstrative and did not allow the jury to see it. "This is a flagrant violation of discovery rules," said Hurley, before launching into his criticism of the investigation in it's entirety. Custer then took the stand and began explaining to the jury the night in question May 16, 2012 when he shot and killed Seth Adams, 24. The Adams family seeking a multi- million dollar wrongful death verdict.