Patrick Xavier Clark, the man charged in the killing of Migos rapper, Takeoff, is reportedly asking a judge for $5,000 to hire a private investigator to help with his defense.
He also claimed his innocence in court.
The House Police department confirmed Clark’s arrest and charged him with the murder of the 28-year-old Migos rapper last week.
Takeoff was fatally shot during the early hours of 1 November, when an argument broke out at a Houston bowling alley and escalated to violence.
According to court documents, Clark said he’s unable to cover the costs to hire someone because his family already spent their money on an attorney who has agreed to work at a reduced rate.
He argued that he needs to hire someone to “properly investigate” and effectively prepare for the trial, and added there’s an investigator who has already agreed to work on his case for the reduced rate of $85 an hour.
In an appearance in court, Clark’s attorneys said that he wasn’t the person who shot Takeoff.
His attorney Letitia Quinones said her client is “nervous” and “concerned” because he is “being charged with something that he believes he’s innocent of, so how would anyone do in that type of circumstance?”
Clark is being held on $2 million bond and is set to attend a bond reduction hearing on 14 December.
Police have cited cellphone and surveillance footage as evidence that Clark was the gunman.
Meanwhile, a search warrant against a man accused in the shooting death of Migos rapper Takeoff is raising questions about his murder.
At about 2:30 a.m. on 1 November, Police received a call about a shooting at 1210 San Jacinto St. in downtown Houston.
At the scene, police officers found a man shot and killed on the third floor, just outside the front door of a bowling alley. The man was identified as Kirshnick Khari Ball, better known as Takeoff, police said.
The eight-page document was filed on Tuesday because HPD detectives want access to the accused killer’s truck, which is impounded, to search for more evidence.
Also, for the first time, police are acknowledging that there was more than one shooter that night.
According to the warrant, there were 34 people standing in a group outside the bowling alley before the shooting. Migos member Quavious Marshall, also known as Quavo, was arguing with a man identified as Michael Prince and two young Black men over a game of dice.
After an initial confrontation between the groups, Cameron Joshua appeared to be struck by a man identified as Willie Bland, who investigators believe was associated with Quavo.
In a video obtained by police, Bland and another man were seen firing weapons from different directions during the incident, the report states.
Police said Bland’s bullets went into the bowling alley but did not hit anyone.
They add that the shots that killed Takeoff were reportedly fired by 33-year-old Patrick Clark, who was arrested on December Police said this was determined because of the “direction” he was seen firing the gun on surveillance video.
At the scene, police recovered nine .40 caliber casings and a single casing from a 9mm firearm.
Bland reportedly told police he didn’t know his gun’s caliber, and it does not appear police have determined what kind of gun he had.
Records also don’t show he has been charged, despite admitting to firing a gun.
Meanwhile, Clark allegedly had a .45 caliber gun on him when he was arrested, but police said it was not the gun used in Takeoff’s killing as it is a different caliber than the evidence at the scene.
The warrant states Takeoff was shot by two medium caliber bullets, but it does not state what kind of gun was used.
Now, police are hoping to search Clark’s truck to see if there’s a weapon or other evidence that matches the bullets found at the scene.
The warrant was also requested based on that Clark wanted to know what would happen to his “guns,” during booking.
Clark, who has denied any responsibility, is being held on a $2 million bond and is fighting to have it lowered.