Karl Pugh’s preliminary hearing was ordered continued today in Judge Thomas Motley’s courtroom.
Pugh, 30, is charged with second-degree murder in the Sept. 20 shooting death of Quentin Ragland, 27, in the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE.
Defense attorney Liyah Brown requested the continuance so she could review a DVD given to her today by the U.S. Attorney’s office of Pugh’s statement to police after his arrest on Sept. 20. The DVD is more than 8 hours long, and while police did not question Pugh for the duration, Pugh was recorded talking for nearly the entire 8 hours, according to both attorneys.
Court documents state that while being interviewed by police, Pugh admitted that he and Ragland smoked PCP together before getting into a “tussle” outside Ragland’s apartment. Ragland then went inside, returned with a revolver and the tussle continued. Pugh said that he was trying to take the gun away from Ragland when it went off.
Pugh fled the scene, but officers responding to the shooting apprehended him after they spotted Pugh running erratically in the parking lot outside Ragland’s apartment building. Police recovered the gun, which according to charging documents, Pugh said he tossed under a vehicle in the parking lot. The defendant told investigators that while he could remember events before and after the gun was fired, he could not remember Ragland being shot or why they began tussling.
Police found Ragland inside a third-floor apartment. He was shot at close range and sustained a single gunshot to the left eye, court documents state.
Pugh remains in custody. His preliminary hearing is rescheduled for Oct. 14 in front of Judge Motley.
