Military training like Peter Khill's lasts decades, psychologist says during murder trial

When Peter Khill shot Jon Styres in his driveway in the middle of the night, the former reservist could have been acting on training as ingrained as riding a bicycle, says a psychologist.

Laurence Miller took the stand in the Khill trial Friday as an expertwitness called by the defence.

When someone is trained repeatedly in an action, Millersaid, it changes the person's brain structure. So they remember it years even decades later.

Common examples, he said, include driving a car, eating with utensils or riding a bicycle.

The same goes for reservists who have been trained to "neutralize" threats, Miller said in Hamilton Superior Court. That may explain why Khill grabbed a gun when he heard someone outside his Hannonhouse around 3 a.m.

"People can remember to do things they learned decades ago," Miller said. That action memory explains the term "as easy as riding a bicycle."

With soldiers and officers, Miller said, that includes "neutralizing" a threat.

"You want to be able to see it coming before it's on top of you," said Miller, who trains U.S. law enforcement officers.

"You want to neutralize a threat before it neutralizes you."

Khill has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death ofStyres onFeb. 6, 2016. Miller was the last witness.

Prosecutors say Styres was trying to steal Khill's 15-year-old truck. Khill, 28, admits to grabbing a 12-gauge shotgun from his bedroom and running outside in a T-shirt and boxers.

Styres, a 29-year-old man from the Six Nations reserve, was shot by two close-range shotgun blasts.

Khillhas testified that when heheard someone outside, lessons from his four years in the Canadian Armed Forces reserves came flooding back.

Crown attorney Steve O'Brien says Khill could have just have called the police instead.

Evidence earlier in the trial was thatKhill joined the 56 Field Regiment based in Brantford in 2007 and left in 2011.

He was mostly considereda part-time soldier. Testimony by WalterSroka,Khill's superior officer in the regiment, was that his involvement was on a weekly basis (3-4 hours per week) but he also participated in weekend exercises and longer-term exercises during summers.

He testified that Khill took theintroductoryCanadian Forces course which covered how to march, army history and how to use his rifle. He also took a 1-month soldier qualification course, which covered thenuts and bolts of being a soldier - using different weapons including the machine guns, grenades, rocket launchers, etc.It also included day and night exercises.

He did participate in a military operation during which he was considered full-time. He was part of the security detail during the G8 Summit in Huntsville where Sroka said the soldiers underwent intensive training on how to deal with civilians and worked 24/7 with police.

O'Brien did not cross examine Miller Friday.

Miller's brief testimony was the last beforeManishen and O'Brien begin closing arguments Monday. Jury deliberations could begin Tuesday.