When asked how Ellingson’s death had affected him, Piercy said, “I guess I used to think that when I went to work, I could handle just about any situation that was thrown at me. I guess it’s let me know how vulnerable I am.”

Piercy, who has been with the Missouri Highway Patrol since 1996, testified that he was confident in his abilities on the road. But in response to questions from his attorneys, he said he had limited training for work on the water.

The state water patrol was merged with the Highway Patrol in 2010, and Piercy volunteered to work in the water patrol division in 2012. Piercy said he had completed a one-week basic boating class in the fall of 2012, a four-week “marine operations” course in the spring of 2013 and conducted some field training with other patrol officers in summer 2013.

He said he was never trained specifically on how to arrest someone on the water or how to put a life vest on a secured suspect.

Piercy said he had made hundreds of DWI arrests on state highways and received awards for DWI enforcement, but had made only about eight arrests for boating while intoxicated since he switched to patrolling the water.