Oakland officer's video after girl's death shown as evidence

Alaysha Carradine, 8, shot to death on a sleepover in Oakland on July 15, 2013. Alaysha Carradine, 8, shot to death on a sleepover in Oakland on July 15, 2013. Photo: Family Photo, Courtesy Of Carradine Family Photo: Family Photo, Courtesy Of Carradine Family Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Oakland officer's video after girl's death shown as evidence 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

(01-07) 20:37 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- The mother of an 8-year-old Oakland girl shot dead at a friend's sleepover sobbed in a courtroom Tuesday as a prosecutor introduced a remarkable piece of evidence - footage from a chest camera worn by one of the first police officers to arrive at the crime scene.

Chiquita Carradine had been out of town on July 17, when a gunman opened fire through the front door of the Dimond neighborhood apartment, killing her daughter, Alaysha Carradine, and injuring her playmate and two others.

The mother had been warned about the power of the video, but as a preliminary hearing began for two suspects in the case, she wasn't prepared. There were cries for help by the wounded children in the home, and Officer Jason Mitchell could be heard bellowing "Get out of my way!" as he rushed victims to an ambulance.

Another officer warned Mitchell not to move Alaysha, who was "soaked in blood," Mitchell testified at the hearing. The officer is heard on the video telling his partner, "I don't care."

"She was taking what appeared to be her last breaths of life," Mitchell testified. A former emergency medical technician, Mitchell said, "I knew that if I didn't get her to the hospital in two or three minutes, she wouldn't make it."

Chiquita Carradine cried and dabbed at her eyes with tissues as the hearing progressed. Deputy District Attorney John Brouhard had told her what to expect, but she insisted on sitting through most of the video and the testimony. Finally, she dashed out of court, her wails echoing outside.

"That was the most gruesome thing I have ever had to sit through, and be strong," she said later.

Oakland officers began wearing chest cameras in late 2010, part of a trend that has swept through the Bay Area and the nation. Prosecutors and defense attorneys said this marks one of the first high-profile murder cases in which such a video will play a prominent role.

When the preliminary hearing concludes, Alameda County Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay must decide whether to order a trial for Darnell Williams, 22, and Joseph Carroll, 27. Both are facing murder charges in the killing of Alaysha, whose nickname was "Ladybug."

Williams is accused of going to the Wilson Avenue apartment with a gun bent on hurting a man he believed was responsible for a slaying in Berkeley four hours earlier. According to prosecutors, Williams sought to kill not only his rival, but the rival's family, which had been hosting Alaysha.

The rival was Antiown York, 25, the father of Alaysha's playmate, according to Berkeley police. On Tuesday, they announced York's arrest in connection with the Berkeley killing.

Authorities say Carroll - the cousin of the man killed in Berkeley, 26-year-old Jermaine Davis - cased the Dimond neighborhood apartment two hours before the shooting.

Evidence at the scene suggested a wild fusillade, with some rounds passing through the wood door and metal security gate. Within seconds, Alaysha fell in a barrage that also injured her 7-year-old playmate, the playmate's 4-year-old brother and the siblings' 63-year-old grandmother Clara Fields.

Defense attorneys said outside court that the video - while not depicting an assailant - offered a portrait of the violence that night that would likely make a powerful statement to a jury.

"It makes an incredible impression," said Deborah Levy, an attorney for Williams. If Judge Clay determines there is enough evidence to go to trial, "It is the jury that's going to be viewing this evidence. Honestly, it's going to be devastating," Levy said.

Carroll's attorney, Ernesto Castillo, agreed, saying, "It definitely captures the moment live, but it's also tremendously prejudicial in a sense because of the emotional nature of it."

Still, Levy said, "Legally, I don't think there's any way to keep it out" as evidence.

Also testifying Tuesday was paramedic Julie Silva. As Officer Mitchell rushed Alaysha to her, the girl cried, "Mommy, where's my mommy?" according to the officer's recording.

Then, Silva said, as the ambulance neared Children's Hospital Oakland, the girl suddenly let out a "haunting scream at the top of her lungs - 'I'm dead!' "

That testimony prompted Chiquita Carradine to utter an expletive at Williams from the court gallery and say, "I hope you burn in hell."