Russell murder trial underway

The murder trial of an Anniston man accused of killing Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub got underway Tuesday in a Lee County Courtoom.    Witnesses testified Tuesday that 26-year-old Joshua Eugene Russell, charged with capital murder in Sollohub’s death shot the officer  while he was chasing Russell near 19th Street and Moore Avenue in Anniston. Russell was arrested following a manhunt in the Anniston neighborhood where Sollohub was found shot in the head.  Russell’s attorneys told jurors in their opening argument that their client did shoot Sollohub, but that the circumstances do not warrant the charge of capital murder.  Anniston police officer Justin Hartley, one of the first to arrive after Sollohub was shot testified he heard Sollohub on the radio say he was in a foot chase with a man at 19th Street and Moore Avenue. After the radio call, Hartley and Investigator Tim Suits drove to Sollohub’s location where they found officer Sollohub down lying motionless.  Hartley said he discovered a woman nearby, Karen Mason, who saw the shooting and attempted to calm her down to learn what she’d witnessed.  Testimony resumes today