'His eyes were black:' MFD captain's former girlfriend testifies about his alleged abuse

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee Fire Department captain is on trial for accusations of domestic abuse. Leon Butts, 48, is accused of beating and bruising his former girlfriend.

Butts faces the following charges:

On Tuesday, July 17, the first day of Butts' trial after jury selection on Monday, Butts' ex-girlfriend testified. She detailed the alleged abuse and the night she says she almost died.

"He balled his fist. He clenched his teeth and he headbutted me. He's up against my face. He says 'do you know what I'm going to do to you?' I think I'm going to die," she said.

"Evidence is going to show all crimes committed by that man," the prosecutor said.

Prosecutors say Butts' beat and strangled his girlfriend last year.

"I was on all fours, regurgitating blood. He asked me if I needed medical," the victim said.

She testified that the couple once lived a life filled with love. Over time, the relationship became strained -- with suspicions of cheating.

"For months he accused me of being with other men. When he went into the shower, I saw another woman's number on his phone,"said the victim.

The victim is a mother of two, business owner and Milwaukee police officer. She said there were moments in the relationship when she felt helpless.

"His eyes were black. I had never seen that before," said the victim.

Butts has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. The fire captain has risen through the ranks at MFD, with decades of service under his belt.

FOX6 News was there in 2017, when Butts trained school children in CPR.

As the victim took the stand against him Tuesday, Butts kept his head down.

The trial is expected to last several days.