Sacto 9-1-1

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

The suspected street gang member accused of murder in the Dec. 19, 2007, shooting death of Sacramento sheriff's Detective Vu Nguyen told a police photographer during his interrogation the day after the killing that "the cop deserved it," it was disclosed today.

Defendant Jimmy Siackasorn's lawyer, Sue Karlton, tried to get the statement excluded from her client's upcoming trial but was rebuffed in a ruling made today by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Cheryl Chun Meegan.

The judge also will allow Deputy District Attorney Rod Norgaard to present evidence that Siackasorn (2007 booking photo left) also told the photographer that he had some gunshot residue "on this hand."

Meegan, however, excluded additional statements Siackasorn made during his interrogation that started at 1:21 a.m. and ran for at least three hours the day after Nguyen was shot and killed.

The judge said Siackasorn made the additional comments -- undisclosed in court today and contained in an interview transcript that is not yet a part of the court record -- after he invoked his Miranda rights by telling detectives, "I don't want to talk about it no more."

Even though he told detectives he was finished with the interview, Meegan said that Siackasorn made "outbursts" when a police photographer showed up toward the end of the interview to take pictures of him. She said those statements were voluntary and could be admitted as evidence at trial.

It was during the photography session that Meegan said that the defendant, who is now 19 years old, blurted out, "The cop deserved it, though."

According to Meegan's comments in her ruling from the bench, the photographer in the same session also began collecting swabs from Siackasorn for the purpose of performing gunshot residue tests. It was then that Siackasorn told him, "It's on this hand," a potentially critical admission.

Nguyen, 37, was killed in a south area backyard after trying to contact a man authorities identified as Siackasorn who was standing outside a house near 37th Street and 42nd Avenue.

Investigators said they believe Siackasorn was standing outside a known gang hangout waiting to buy marijuana when Nguyen and his partner drove up. Investigators say Siackasorn took off and Nguyen followed in the fence-hopping foot chase during which he was killed.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.