A Courtroom Show and Tell

There was plenty to see and hear today at the murder trial of Dashawn Revels. Testimony opened with crime scene photographs and a presentation of evidence collected at the intersection of State Pier Road and Crystal Avenue, which is where Bryan Davila, 20, collapsed after being shot on March 31, 2009.

Detective Priscilla Vinning of Connecticut’s Major Crime Division identified eight spent shell casings and a 9 mm pistol, all found near the victim in and around the driveway of Electrical Wholesalers at 163 State Pier Rd., New London. Vinning told the court that the victim’s hands were also tested for gunshot residue to determine whether Davila fired a weapon that night.

The same test was given to Revels, New London Police Detective Richard Curcuro said, who was arrested shortly after the shooting based on a description provided by an eyewitness. The eyewitness, who testified yesterday, described him as an African American with braided hair, wearing a green camouflage jacket, a red ball cap, dark pants and dark sneakers. Those were the clothes Revels had, Curcuro said, when the detective first saw him in the ’s booking room a few hours after the shooting.

Curcuro, who was one of two detectives who interviewed Revels that night, testified that Revels waived his Miranda right to an attorney and agreed to let police conduct the gunshot residue test, take a DNA sample, and take his clothes for forensic testing. Curcuro said Revels had some difficulty signing the legal documents to allow that to happen because his right hand was in a cast, but he was able to initial them.

During the first interview, Curcuro said, Revels demeanor was “pretty reserved, quiet, respectful when questions were asked of him.” When Curcuro asked Revels if he knew why police had arrested him, Revels said he did not. When prompted by Curcuro, Revels said he knew the location of the high-rise housing projects on Crystal Avenue but that he hadn’t been there that night.

Curcuro said his next move was to obtain video surveillance footage and still photos taken from cameras installed in and around the Thames River Apartment complex on Crystal Avenue. The images—presented before the jury today—are date stamped March 31, 2009. The footage shot at 10:50 p.m., shows three men outside one of the complex’s three high rise apartment buildings. The film shot at 11:04 p.m., shows eight men, including one on a bicycle, entering the building.

One man is easily spotted in both shots because, unlike the others who are wearing dark hoodies, he was dressed in a red ball cap and green camouflage jacket. In court today, Curcuro identified that man as the defendant, Dashawn Revels.

Armed with printouts of the film, Curcuro said, he returned to interview Revels a second time. At that point, Curcuro testified, Revels demeanor changed. “He dropped his head” and appeared “stunned,” the detective said.

“He indicated he was not truthful [before] and was there with a group of people, at least six other individuals. He explained there was a confrontation between a Hispanic male and a group of his friends. He said the Hispanic male pulled out a gun and shot,” said Curcuro.

At that point in the testimony, the jury was excused from the courtroom because Defense Attorney Bruce Sturman objected to Curcuro being allowed to characterize what his client had said. After hearing the objections, Judge Stuart Schimelman agreed to allow Curcuro to continue testifying. When the jury returned, Curcuro told the court that Revels said, “I fired back.”

On Friday, jurors will have a chance to hear exactly who said what for themselves, however, because the prosecution plans to play the audiotape of the interview in full.