Opinion ID: 2020963
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Debra Cunningham's Patterson Statements

Text: On October 8, 1977 Debra gave a signed statement to the police (State's Ex. 7) in which she said, inter alia, that when they heard a shot, she and Turner jumped up, looked out the window and saw Kendall Warner standing at the back of the car with a pistol in his hand. She saw flashes from the gun and heard Warner say Let's get the hell out of here man! Then he and another boy in blue jeans ran towards the alleyway. On October 14, 1977, Debra gave a second signed statement to the police (State's Ex. 6). According to this statement, she had seen Warner, Watkins, Smith and Williams when she looked out the window. Warner was at the right rear of the car, Watkins at the left rear, Smith at the right front and Williams in the street, by the front of the car. Warner was dancing up and down and shooting a pistol. Smith was shooting a shotgun, and Watkins had a shotgun. She did not see a gun in Williams' hands. After the shooting, Smith and Williams ran across Columbia Avenue, and Warner and Watkins ran to the alley. Her reason for then identifying the boys that she had not identified in her previous statement was that Turner had called her that morning and asked her to tell the police who the others were. On January 12, 1978, Debra gave a deposition by which she again related the events of October 8th. Only a portion of the deposition came into evidence, but it was admitted without objection from Warner, Watkins or Smith. It disclosed that Debra had then testified that she saw three people on October 8th but could identify only two of them, Warner and Watkins, both of whom were firing weapons. Danette Cunningham testified that she is Debra's sister and was present on October 5th when the shooting incident between Warner and Turner occurred. She heard Warner say Punk. She could not identify the gun except to say that the barrel was long, kind of long. Warner shot it two or three times. He telephoned later that night and apologized for the incident. Her boy friend was with her and hung up the phone at that point, so they did not finish talking. After having had her memory refreshed by reference to a written statement that she had given to the police on October 8, 1977, Danette also testified that during that telephone conversation, Warner had also said that he was going to get Turner. She also testified that, in her opinion, Aaron and Turner looked alike.