James Holmes gave a ‘self-satisfying ... smirk,’ policeman testifies
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A police officer who responded to the deadly Colorado theater shooting testified Tuesday that he asked James Holmes twice whether he had an accomplice, but Holmes only looked at him and smiled.
Officer Justin Grizzle, testifying during a pretrial hearing on Holmes’ statements to police before he was read his Miranda rights, described the smile as “a self-satisfying offensive smirk.”
Grizzle and Officer Jason Sweeney were among the first officers to arrive at the back exit to the movie theater on July 20, 2012, and found Holmes standing beside his car. It was a chaotic scene with screaming and bloodied victims still fleeing the theater as officers handcuffed Holmes and searched him.
They said Holmes didn’t resist when they told first to raise his hands, then to lie on the ground.
Sweeney said that when he asked Holmes if there was another shooter, Holmes answered, “No, it’s just me.”
Sweeney said officers couldn’t see through the tinted passenger side windows to detect whether anyone was inside, so they looked in through the open driver’s door. No one was inside.
“It was just chaos with everybody trying to figure out what was going on,” Sweeney said.
According to documents and testimony in the case, officers also asked Holmes questions about weapons and explosives. Roughly two hours would pass before the mayhem subsided and detectives would read Holmes his rights — “anything you say can be used against you.”
Holmes’ lawyers argue that that delay violated his constitutional rights and that anything he told the arresting officers should be barred from his trial.
Prosecutors say that the officers urgently needed to know whether Holmes had an accomplice who could still be shooting and killing people at the Century 16 theater in Aurora. They contend that the questions were legal under a public-safety exemption to the Miranda rule.
Barring the use of Holmes’ statements would probably have a limited impact on his trial because his lawyers have acknowledged he was the shooter and the trial is expected to focus on whether or not he was legally insane at the time of the shooting.
Holmes is accused of slipping into the suburban Denver theater and opening fire while more than 400 people were watching a midnight showing of a Batman movie. Twelve were killed and at least 70 injured.
Holmes, then 24, had just quit a PhD program in neuroscience at the University of Colorado-Denver.
He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to more than 160 counts of murder and attempted murder. His lawyers say he was in the grip of a psychotic episode.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
After the shooting, investigators say, Holmes told officers he had four guns and bombs were rigged at his apartment to explode if anyone went inside.
Holmes was then driven to a police station, where a detective again asked if anyone had helped him. At about 2:30 a.m. on July 21, a detective began reading Holmes his Miranda warning.
Prosecutors argue that police had to find out if there were more gunmen who could harm civilians, emergency personnel or police.
“There were many locations inside and outside of Theater 9 where other assailants could be hidden,” prosecutors wrote.
ALSO:
Two Florida girls charged with bullying friend to death
Supreme Court justices voice support for Affirmative Action ban
Medal of Honor awarded to Army captain for bravery in Afghanistan
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
