Man charged in Dorchester Park shooting to face trial
An El Paso County judge on Thursday ruled that there was sufficient evidence for 19-year-old Bryce Daniels to face trial on charges that he fatally shot 21-year-old Jesse Schiele III under a bridge near Dorchester Park in May.
Witnesses saw and recorded the shooting, and at least one witness identified Daniels as the gunman by picking him from a lineup, prosecutors said.
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That witness was at Dorchester Park with Schiele for most of the day before a man he referred to as “Zilo” brandished a handgun and pointed it at them, Colorado Springs police Detective Matthew Kerr testified during Thursday’s preliminary hearing.
The witness told Kerr that the man with the gun tried to shoot Schiele, but the gun jammed. When the shooter cocked the gun again, the witness ran to hide and heard one gunshot followed by five more shots in rapid succession. Kerr said Schiele was shot several times.
The witness told Kerr that he met Zilo before the shooting at a rehabilitation center in Colorado Springs and that he suspected Schiele knew Zilo before the shooting as well.
Detectives confirmed that Daniels used the street name Zilo by obtaining documentation from the rehabilitation center where the witness claimed he met Daniels. Schiele, Daniels and the witness were homeless when the shooting occurred, Kerr said.
Prosecutors also played a video recording on Thursday in which they say Daniels can be seen shooting Schiele as witnesses beg him not to shoot.
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Daniels’ defense attorneys argued that the identification of their client was extremely flawed. One point touched on by the defense was the witness’ claim that the shooter was short, just 5 feet, 3 inches tall, when Daniels is nearly a foot taller than that.
The defense also pointed out that the video played in court does not give a clear view of the shooter because the video quality is poor.
Judge David Gilbert ruled that there was enough evidence to have Daniels bound over for trial on first-degree murder and two counts of felony menacing with a weapon.
Daniels is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 14, and he is being held in the El Paso County jail on a $5 million bond.
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