Shown in the courtroom of Judge Clarence Shattuck are Darreo Harris, attorney Lloyd Levitt, prosecutor Lance Pope and detective Victor Miller
A city detective testified Friday that a video and a fingerprint led to the arrest of 23-year-old Darreo Harris in a gang murder in Brainerd early on the morning of New Year's Day.
Charges of criminal homicide and possessing a firearm during a dangerous felony were bound to the Grand Jury in the case involving the slaying of 18-year-old Juan Boyd.
Detective Victor Miller said a police car was parked on the lot of the Waffle House on Brainerd Road where the shooting occurred, and its in-car camera captured the shooting on video. He said it shows a gunman running up to the back of a car driven by James McClendon and firing toward the passenger side.
Boyd was sitting in the front passenger seat.
The detective said the McClendon car was checked for fingerprints soon after the incident. He said he had technicians recheck the car after noticing on the video that the gunman put the palm of his hand on the rear of the vehicle to brace himself as he ran up.
He said fingerprints were lifted from the right rear of the car that matched those of Darreo Harris.
Detective Miller said Harris said he had not been to the Waffle House that night, but was with his girlfriend, Ashley Watkins, at a party in East Ridge at midnight and later at her house. He said Ms. Watkins gave a totally different account and said Harris was not with her at the time of the shooting.
The witness said he believed it was a gang killing. He said Harris lives in Brainerd and is in the Kemp Drive Posse Bloods gang, while Boyd was a rival Rollin 60s Crip.
McClendon said he circled the Waffle House 4-5 times, then Boyd jumped in his car. He said they were acquaintances. He said he circled the lot 4-5 more times before the shots rang out.
He said his rear passenger window was shattered by a first shot and his front passenger window by a second. He said he did not look to see who was firing.
The witness said Boyd was "throwing gang signs" just before the shooting.
McClendon, who drove to where he spotted police nearby, said Boyd never spoke after the shots.
Sgt. James Franklin said 17 ridge endings on the fingerprint taken from the car were exact matches to Harris' palm print.
He said he sent the print and a known sample from Harris to two other fingerprint experts and they both came to the same conclusion.