KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — After a dramatic day of testimony that involved two outbursts by the defendant, Jason Dalton has been bound over to stand trial for his alleged participation in a February shooting spree that left six dead and two critically injured.
Judge Christopher Haenicke ruled that, based on the testimony heard, probable cause has been established to bind Dalton, 45, over to stand trial in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court on all 16 felony counts.
The hearing began with survivor Tiana Carruthers taking the stand. Because of her Injuries, she had to be helped to the witness chair. About seven minutes into her testimony, Dalton started babbling about people wearing black bags and that it was time to get to the temple.
He was warned by the judge to remain quiet.
A few minutes later, he lunged out of his chair, and was subdued by several deputies who dragged him from the courtroom.
Carruthers was visibly shaken and began sobbing loudly.
After a long delay, Dalton was returned to the jail to watch the hearing remotely by video link from the jail to the courthouse. He could be seen scowling through the remainder of the hearing, as deputies held him down in his chair.
The remaining testimony came from other eye witnesses who placed Dalton at the three murder scenes.
Kalamazoo County, city and Michigan State Police investigators and forensic technicians were also called to the stand to testify about the crime scenes and the evidence removed from those scenes.
Michigan State Police firearms expert Jeff Crump testified that they were able to match the shells and the slugs recovered from the crime scenes to Dalton’s dlock and walther automatics by the tiny but distinctive scratches and marks left by the process of firing bullets from a particular weapon.
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting’s presentation of the evidence skipped around the chain of events, hitting the highlights just to meet the lower standard required for a probable cause hearing.
He said, when they go to trial, they will start at the beginning, work to the end and fill in the gaps.
A pre-trial hearing will be held next month and a schedule for the rest of the prosecution may be fleshed out then.
