On Aug. 19, an 18-year-old Michigan man who was accused of fatally shooting a 19-year-old man after an alleged drug deal went wrong was ordered to stand trial. According to the report, a Kalamazoo County District Court judge determined that there was enough evidence to send the case to trial based on the allegations that the defendant shot a gun twice into an area where several people were standing.
The incident occurred on July 23 in the 3200 block of Mount Olivet Road. A witness who testified stated that the defendant had paid for marijuana with a fake $100 bill. After they identified the defendant and two others who were allegedly involved in passing off the counterfeit money, the witness and the deceased man exited their van in order to confront the defendant.
Two of the defendant’s friends allegedly ran. The witness then claimed that he heard the deceased man shout that the defendant had a gun. The witness claimed that the defendant fired off a warning shot before firing into the van. The witness stated that when they made it back into the van, he realized that the 19-year-old man had been shot.
The defense attorney was able to cross-examine the witness in an attempt to find false statements or inconsistencies with his allegations. Additionally, the attorney stated that one member of the group had a gun as well, and thus his client was using his weapon in self-defense.
Someone who is found guilty on a murder charge could potentially face life in prison. An attorney may be able to defend their client against these allegations by arguing that they were only acting in self-defense. Otherwise, they may also have evidence that their client was not the one who fatally shot the person they were accused of killing.
Source: MLive, “DaQuan Pritchett ordered to stand trial for murder in Kalamazoo shooting of Christopher Adams”, Rob Wetterholt Jr. , August 20, 2014
Source: MLive, “DaQuan Pritchett ordered to stand trial for murder in Kalamazoo shooting of Christopher Adams”, Rob Wetterholt Jr. , August 20, 2014
