Assistant State Attorney Bob Lewis began his closing argument about 10:30 a.m. The courtroom, packed with onlookers - including Pasco County Sheriff Bob White - was deadly quiet except for Lewis’ voice.

Lewis urged the jurors to believe Steele’s incriminating statements. Steele made several statements to investigators and to others that he shot at a patrol car the night sheriff’s Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison’s was killed.

“He likely didn’t intend to kill Bo Harrison that night,” Lewis said. “He intended to kill whoever the deputy sheriff was in that car; he just didn’t know it was Lt. Harrison.”

But, Lewis said, that still qualifies as premeditated murder. And Steele did plan the killing, Lewis argued. He went deep into the Withlacoochee State Forest to test-fire his semi-automatic SKS rifle about four hours before Harrison’s slaying.

“Is there any other reasonable explanation for shooting a gun in the darkness of that forest at 10 o’clock at night, other than making sure it worked?” Lews asked.

Each time Steele fired his semi-automatic SKS, Steele had to recover from the recoil, re-aim and refire the gun. He did that at least 13 times, Lewis said, again indicating premeditation.

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