911 tape heard in Potts manslaughter trial

The first words that can be heard on the 911 tape are the last ones Ian Sharinn spoke: "Now what the ---- are you going to do?"

Sharinn, 34, was standing on National Boulevard in Long Beach, in front of a Nissan Altima driven by Evan Potts, a Queens College student with whom he'd gotten into a road rage dispute, prosecutors and witnesses said. It was Potts who had called 911, shortly before he ran over Sharinn, and he left the line open throughout the fatal May 2009 encounter for which he is now on trial for manslaughter.

Prosecutors released the tape, which has been played for the jury during witness testimony in the trial, Thursday afternoon.

Potts' lawyer, Stanley Kopilow of Garden City, has said in court that Potts was cornered and afraid for his safety. But prosecutors say there was no justification for what he did.

What can be heard after Sharinn's voice on the 49-second tape is a rumble followed by a bloodcurdling scream as, prosecutors say, witnesses watched Potts drive over the 6-foot-5 Sharinn.

Prosecutors say Potts, now 23, of Oceanside, on the tape utters something that ends with words "big stud" as he drives over Sharinn. But Kopilow said those words are inaudible on the tape and, he said, experts could not be sure who said them.

Seconds later, the sound of another man's voice on the tape tells Potts to "Sit your ---- down."

The man who said those words, bystander John Messina, testified this week that he ran after Potts' car after seeing the incident. Potts drove about 200 feet, then got out of the car, Messina testified.

"I didn't mean to do that!" Potts can be heard saying on the 911 tape.

The next voice is Messina's, prosecutors said. "You just killed a man," he said.