Officer gives testimony on Luigi Mangione's arrest during Day 3 of evidence hearing

Dec. 4 (UPI) A police officer who encountered Luigi Mangione at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, shared his account in court Thursday during a pre-trial evidentiary session. The hearing, now on its third day, focuses on Mangione's legal team seeking to exclude evidence obtained by police without a warrant.

The proceedings coincide with the one-year anniversary of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, 50, an act for which Mangione, 27, faces charges. Mangione allegedly shot Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk and was apprehended five days later at the Pennsylvania McDonald's.

Mangiones defense is requesting that his initial statements, a personal notebook, and a firearm found in his backpack be barred from trial, arguing the items were taken before police had a valid search warrant. Legal experts note the hearing is significant, though challenging for the defense to succeed.

These are not completely unreasonable points being raised by the defense, and they require a hearing to be considered, said Christopher Slobogin, a criminal justice professor at Vanderbilt University, emphasizing the complexity of the case demands multiple days to establish the facts.

Officer Tyler Frye testified Thursday morning, with his body camera footage shown in court. Frye identified Mangione, noting that upon arrival, the restaurant manager directed him to the suspect sitting and eating a hashbrown.

In the footage, another officer asks Mangione, Do you know what all this nonsense is about? to which Mangione responds, We're going to find out I guess. He initially provided officers with a falsified New Jersey ID under the name Mark Rosario.

Police then informed Mangione that he was under investigation and requested his true identity. Frye recorded Mangiones real name and date of birth in a notebook before reading him his Miranda rights. When questioned by Prosecutor Joel Seiderman about the backpack, Frye confirmed he was near it and immediately noticed it upon entering.

The evidentiary hearing, known as a Mapp hearing, is expected to continue over several days as the court examines whether the challenged evidence can be used at trial.

Author: Maya Henderson