Today in Orange County Court, the jury heard directly from Alpha Barry, the DoorDash driver who was shot on May 2nd, 2025 by Chester Town highway superintendent, John J. Reilly III, now on trial for attempted murder.
During Alpha Barry’s testimony on Tuesday the prosecution played the Ring video footage that shows Barry walking up to Reilly’s door carrying the food order that he was trying to deliver that night and waving.
Barry testified that his phone died, so he went to Reilly’s house to ask if he could charge his phone. But prosecution attorney, Senior Assistant Orange County District Attorney Nicholas Mangold, pointed out that Barry never asked to go inside.
After Barry rang the bell the security video cuts out and when it returns it shows Barry back in his car at the end of the driveway with Reilly coming out of his house with a gun holster on. Reilly yells “Go” and shoots a warning shot into the ground as Barry was doing a three point turn, seemingly to leave the driveway.
He testified that he panicked after the first shot. Barry honked the horn, he said, without realizing it, and as soon as he did the video shows that Reilly shot at the vehicle, which looks about 50-100 yards away.
Barry's car starts driving away and the video shows Reilly firing a third shot. That’s when Barry says he was hit. He said he felt the bullet go in his back and felt the blood and screamed, which can be heard on the video.
Barry said he went to a nearby gas station to ask for help. He asked to charge his phone and call 911 but Barry said he couldn’t understand what the worker was saying. So he says he drove home because he thought he was dying and said he wanted to see his family before he died.
John Reilly III, the Town of Chester highway superintendent, previously said he acted in self-defense. In opening statements, which were delivered Monday, MidHudson News reported that Reilly’s defense, led by Thomas Kenniff with law firm Raiser, Kenniff & Lonstein, argued that Reilly is a hardworking man who was just trying to defend his family from “what he believed was an imminent threat,” and “never intended to harm Mr. Barry.”
Reilly is facing charges of first-degree assault, attempted second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree assault, and eight counts of criminal possession of a firearm.
Attorney Thomas Kenniff previously defended Daniel Penny, who was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely.
Tuesday morning Alpha Barry’s older sister Mariana Barry testified that Alpha was living with her and her husband during the time of the shooting.
She said she was home when Barry arrived home after he was shot. Mariana Barry testified that her husband took him to the hospital and that Alpha had to have a colostomy bag for 6 months. Alpha said he was in pain physically and psychologically for months.
During the afternoon, the defense attorney Kenniff cross-examined Barry pointing out that he did not have anything on him that could have identified him as a Doordash delivery driver. Kenniff also asked why Barry did not notice that his phone battery was low or see the low battery alerts. Barry said he did not notice because he was working hard and most days his phone was fully charged.
Kenniff also asked Barry about a personal injury lawsuit he brought against Reilly and the town of Chester.
Alpha Barry used a translator on Tuesday who spoke to him in French. Several times on Tuesday defense attorney Kenniff commented that Barry seemed to respond to the prosecution questions quicker than his own and the judge reprimanded him and told him not to comment on the testimony.
During a break WAMC overheard defense attorney Nicholas Mangold telling the defendant Reilly that he thought the witness Barry was “more savvy than he’s letting on.”
