HOUSTON — The man accused of shooting and killing rapper TakeOff is asking the court for money to hire a private investigator, according to court documents.
Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, is in jail on a $2 million bond in the high-profile murder case. He was caught shooting his gun on camera with a wine bottle in his hand outside the 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley the night the Migos rapper was killed, according to evidence presented in probable cause court on Monday.
Editor's note: The video in this story is from Dec. 5, 20222, from a previous court appearance,
Police said Clark had a passport and a lot of money on him when he was arrested. They said that he had plans to leave the country. Clark’s attorney said he was prepared to take a planned vacation to Mexico that had just been canceled.
RELATED: Defense attorneys for suspect in TakeOff shooting death claim he was not trying to flee the country
Now, Clark is asking the court for $5,000 to help prove his innocence. Though he has an attorney who has agreed to take on his case at a reduced rate, his family said it's taken all of his money, court documents say.
According to court documents, the hiring of a private investigator would “assist in the preparation of his defense” and help Clark “to prepare effectively for trial.” The documents also say a private investigator would help Clark present evidence and cross-examine witnesses.
It is only through a private investigator that all of the facts related to the case can be looked into, the document says.
As of Wednesday, a judge had not granted the motion and would not likely decide until Clark’s next scheduled court appearance on Dec. 14.
What happened?
The 28-year-old and Quavo were at a private party, with about 40 other people, when shots were fired outside 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley. Police said the party ended around 1 a.m. but the group gathered outside for more than an hour after the party ended.
RELATED: 'He was an innocent bystander': Houston police announce arrest in shooting death of TakeOff
Just after 2:30 a.m., shots were fired and TakeOff was hit and killed just outside of the bowling alley's doors.
Two other people, a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were also shot, police said. They drove to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
The other victims have not been identified but police said they have spoken with them to help with the investigation.
Police said no one who witnessed the shooting has given them any information about what they saw. HPD Chief Troy Finner is pleading with them to come forward.
"We know who was on the scene, and we will be contacting and reaching out and finding those individuals — this is a murder," Finner said in a news conference Friday.