CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A forensic pathologist testified Wednesday in the trial of Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo that one of two shots that probably killed Timothy Russell were likely fired by someone standing above and to his right.

Dr. Andrea Wien, who performed the autopsy on Russell, also said autopsy results indicated Russell was alive before the two shots to his head were fired and one would have caused "nearly immediate death."

The testimony supports the contention of prosecutors that Brelo jumped on the hood of Russell's 1979 Chevy Malibu after a prolonged chase the night of Nov. 29, 2012 and fired down at Russell and his passenger, Malissa Williams.

Brelo, 31, has been charged with two counts of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting deaths of both Russell and Williams. His lawyers have stated their client can't recall whether he stood on the hood of the Malibu.

Wiens, a fellow in the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office the night of the shooting, said she believed the trajectories of the shots to Russell's head were consistent with someone firing down at a sharp angle from the hood of the car.

A series of other shots that struck Russell's chest and heart would have been lethal, Wiens added. Russell was hit a total of 23 times.

In his cross-examination, defense attorney Thomas Shaughnessy questioned Wiens' assertion about the shots to the head. He argued the direction of the bullets depends not only on the position of the shooter, but the positioning of the victim's body as well.

"Kind of like playing Twister, you can contort the body all the way around to fit the trajectory of any bullet," Shaughnessy said.

He came up with three possible scenarios that could account for the shots to the top of Russell's head. Besides someone standing on the car's hood, Shaughnessy said, the shots could have come from someone standing on a nearby hill on the passenger's side of the car, or from behind the car.

Wiens said she can't be "100 percent" certain which of the three scenarios happened. She also testified she doesn't know for sure the order of the bullets fired or which shot ultimately killed Russell.

Defense attorneys said her testimony went too far, well beyond her expertise as a forensic pathologist.

Here are other highlights from Wednesday, Day 8 of the trial:

1. Malissa Williams' brother removed from courtroom

Alfredo Williams had been a regular in the courtroom throughout the trial. He usually sat in the back. But on Wednesday, after a brief break, a security guard alerted Judge John P. O'Donnell to a threat against Brelo.

Abe Hamieh, the security guard, said he overheard Williams say "if the officer is not convicted, I'll kill him myself." Williams told O'Donnell he "did not threaten nobody," but the judge quickly asked him to stop speaking before he incriminates himself.

Williams was banned from the courtroom, and his case was handed over to the city prosecutor's office.

2. Brelo may get heightened security

O'Donnell said he has reason to fear for Brelo's safety, and may make special accommodations to keep him safe.

"You have confirmed some of my worst fears," the judge told Williams before he was led out of the courtroom.

Brelo may be allowed to use the back elevators generally reserved for prosecutors for the rest of the trial.

3. Thursday: Malissa Williams' autopsy

Prosecutors plan to call Joseph Felo, a deputy coroner with the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office to the stand. Felo performed the autopsy of Malissa Williams. The judge may also hear from a ballistics expert with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.