Overview
- Excerpts of Altoona police bodycam video from Dec. 9, 2024 were released in Manhattan court, showing officers confronting Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s and him providing a fake name with a matching ID.
- The hearing features a defense bid to suppress pre‑Miranda statements and the contents of Mangione’s backpack, while prosecutors argue the search was lawful for safety and later covered by a warrant.
- Police testimony and video depict officers debating whether to obtain a warrant before opening the bag, and an officer later reading Miranda rights, which the defense says came after extensive questioning.
- Prosecutors say the backpack held a 9mm handgun they contend matches the murder weapon, a silencer, a loaded magazine wrapped in underwear, IDs, travel records, and notes with entries like “pluck eyebrows” and routes west.
- A 911 call from the McDonald’s manager, played in court, described recognizing the suspect largely by his eyebrows; the suppression hearing continues Thursday before Judge Gregory Carro, with a ruling still pending and potential impact on the related federal death‑penalty case.