“There was blood everywhere,” is how a witness described seeing George Marcincin on the ground while he was being stabbed by Tamiir Ion Whitted.

Sarah Beard, the witness who called the Schuylkill County Communications Center to report the incident April 12, was emotional at times as she testified. She was one of three witnesses Thursday for an approximately two-hour preliminary hearing in front of Senior Judge Richard Cashman in what was formerly Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier’s courtroom in Orwigsburg.

Whitted, who participated via video conference from the Schuylkill County Prison, is charged with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, resisting arrest/other law enforcement, possessing and instrument of crime, and recklessly endangering another person. He is accused of killing Marcincin of Orwigsburg on Route 61 South in West Brunswick Township. Cashman held all charges for Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas.

Beard was the first to testify.

She was driving with her 1-year-old daughter in the car when she saw the men get out and fight. Whitted had moved his car to block the southbound lanes of travel.

“The African American man hit the white man and he fell to the ground. When he fell to the ground, I saw the black man had a knife,” she said.

State Police Trooper Tyler Brackman of the Schuylkill Haven State Police testified Marcincin was stabbed 19 times citing an autopsy report by Dr. Wayne Ross who performed the autopsy. Brackman detailed each stab wound in his testimony.

Beard said she called 911 when the fight escalated and she saw blood. At that time she did not see a knife. She did not hear what the men were saying to each other before Marcincin fell to the ground.

However, she testified Marcincin said help several times during the altercation. A nearby motorist told her to film the incident, but she called 911 instead. Video was retrieved from several businesses but none show the altercation.

“I saw him stab him several times,” she said of Whitted stabbing the victim. She screamed out her window to Whitted the police were coming. He later drove off.

She got out of her car and told Marcincin the police were on their way. He died at the scene.

Orwigsburg Police Officer Robert Bechtel testified how he pursued Whitted, who stopped several times but refused commands. Whitted was on his cellphone several times speaking with his mother upon exiting the car, Bechtel testified. He was finally apprehended along Route 61 and about ¼ mile past Route 895 with the assistance of Schuylkill Haven borough criminal investigator Vince McDonald. Bechtel used a Taser to gain compliance. McDonald arrested Whitted.

At one point Whitted told Bechtel “I’m not going to get out of my car and go ahead and shoot me,” Bechtel testified.

Speeds reached 105 mph during the pursuit.

Brackman testified he arrived on scene and saw blood in the vehicle. An approximately 6½-inch-long knife with blood was in the driver’s-side door area. He described Whitted as “worked up and kind of in a heightened state,” when he saw him briefly.

He noticed what appeared to be blood on his pants and shoes. A gray sweatshirt was in the car with blood, Brackman said.

When he went back to the incident scene, he saw Marcincin’s body on the ground.

“I could see a very large amount of blood pooled around his body,” which was covered with a sheet, Brackman testified.

In describing the autopsy report findings, Brackman said Ross concluded the cause of death was “multiple stab wounds to the body. The manner of death is homicide.”

A.J. Serina, assistant district attorney, declined to comment after the hearing.

David Neener, defense attorney, said there are two sides to the story. He expected the case to be held for court based on the number of stab wounds.

“There is a racial tone,” to this he said.

He said Marcincin uttered racial slurs to Whitted.