The trial of an Iraq War veteran accused of shooting a Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy in 2011 has begun.

"He pulled the gun and he pointed it directly at me," said Hillsborough County Deputy Lyonelle De Veaux.

De Veaux was the first witness to take the stand. The Hillsborough deputy still wears the bullet scars underneath her uniform.

"It was just a continued pow, pow, pow, pow," said De Veaux.

Matthew Buendia is accused of firing at least nine shots at Deputy De Veaux on Sept. 30, 2011, when authorities responded to a Carrollwood-area apartment complex on a domestic abuse call. 

De Veaux was shot three times but survived. Buendia was taken into custody several hours after the shooting after a standoff at his apartment.

Buendia's attorney said this is a case of a young man traumatized by his tours of duty as a Marine in Iraq and the Middle East.

"He didn't intend to kill Deputy De Veaux," said Defense attorney Mark O'Brien during opening statements. "He didn't intend to shoot her. He's sick."

Prosecutors disagreed and said Buendia knew exactly what he was doing.  

"The defendant approached Deputy De Veaux with a premeditated design to shoot at Deputy De Veaux," said Prosecutor Anthony Falcone.

Buendia was charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer with a firearm, battery by strangulation, battery and tampering with a state witness.

Buendia, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and prescribed psychotropic and pain management drugs in 2009 after three tours in the Middle East, initially got a $65,000 bond.

However, a day later, the bond was revoked by Hillsborough Circuit Judge Ronald Ficarrotta.

Buendia's attorney Mark O'Brien said his client did not know what he was doing at the time of the shooting. The defense team also rejected an 11th-hour plea deal that would have spared him life in prison.

O'Brien says Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee, the State Attorney's Office and Ficarrotta have conspired to keep Buendia behind bars.

The controversy has forced the trial into a different circuit at the courthouse with O'Brien saying they may call Ficarrotta to testify about any involvement he has had in the case.

The trial slated to last about two weeks.