Updated: Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
The trial of Rayquan Borum is underway. A video played in court Monday showed Borum, charged with first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Justin Carr, saying he fired a gun while participating in protests held in response to the police shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott.
Carr was shot in September 2016 outside the Omni Hotel during the second night of protests.
The bulk of Monday's proceedings was spent reviewing and discussing video of the three-hour interrogation of Borum by two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police detectives.
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Borum eventually admits in the video that he had a gun that night. Borum said he fired it to break up the crowd. He also said he did not aim it at anyone.
Borum’s defense team of Mark Simmons and Darlene Harris took issue with this evidence. At one point during the interview, Borum asked for an attorney. The detectives stopped asking questions, but they continued to speak to him.
Eventually, Borum agreed to keep talking, but Harris pointed out that detectives never asked if he still wanted an attorney. Judge Hayes did not rule on their motion to dismiss the evidence.
Borum also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Witnesses who may testify were asked to leave the courtroom as evidence was being reviewed. That included Vivan Carr, the mother of Justin Carr. She's expected to testify early in the trial.
Monday’s pretrial motions started with some ground rules from Judge Gregory Hayes. As listed in a Courtroom Order signed by the judge and posted on the courtroom doors, no one is to leave the courtroom unless there’s a specified break. No phones are allowed and the audience is expected to maintain a respectful decorum, which has been an issue throughout the course of Borum’s case.
A metal detector was put in front of the courtroom door as an additional security measure.
Pretrial motions continue Tuesday. Jury selection will begin after those motions conclude.
