How Ottawa police interrogated murder suspect Devontay Hackett - Action News
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How Ottawa police interrogated murder suspect Devontay Hackett

CBC News has obtained the video of the Ottawa Police Service's interrogation of Devontay Hackett, who is facing a second-degree murder charge in the 2014 prom night stabbing death of 18-year-old Brandon Volpi.

Hackett charged with second-degree murder in 2014 death of Brandon Volpi

Ottawa police interrogate murder suspect Devontay Hackett

8 years ago
Duration 55:22
Ottawa Police Service Insp. Chris Benson interrogates Devontay Hackett over his role in the prom night death of 18-year-old Brandon Volpi.

CBC News has obtained nearly an hour's worth of interrogation footage in which Ottawa police try to get Devontay Hackett to open up about the 2014 prom night stabbing death of 18-year-old Brandon Volpi.

Now 21, Hackett was also 18 whenpolice arrested him in Toronto in 2014,more than a month afterVolpiwas fatally stabbedoutside Les Suites HotelonBessererStreet at an after-promparty.

Hackett has pleaded not guilty tosecond-degree murder.

His trial is currently underway.

Jurors watched video

Last week jurors were shown the edited interrogation video, in which Det.Chris Benson tries to get answers as to what happened the night of June 7, 2014.

The Crown has alleged thatHackett stabbed Volpi during a fightoutside the hotelafter Volpiintervened in a confrontation involvingHackett and another studentover a missing cell phone.

Brandon Volpi, 18, died from his injuries after a stabbing outside a downtown Ottawa hotel early in the morning of June 7, 2014. (Photo courtesy of Brandon Volpi's family)

Benson begins the interrogation by offering Hackett a slice of pizza and a bottle of water, and tells him he's being recorded.

He then offers a possible reason for why he's been called in to carry out the investigation: his own son had been involved in a fight at a hockey tournament, coming to the defence of someone with a learning disability.

'Not a dumb guy'

At one point, Benson tells Hackett he's "not a dumb guy" and that he was supposed to be "going places." Hackett replies he hasplans to go to college and study business.

But when it comes to Volpi's death, Hackett often deflectsor refuses to answer Benson's questions.

'I already know what happened. I want to know why.'

8 years ago
Duration 2:37
Devontay Hackett responds to Insp. Chris Benson's questions about the 2014 prom night homicide of Brandon Volpi.

Benson tells Hackett he knows what happened that night, where it happened, and who was involved but not why.

Hackett frequentlyresponds he doesn't know what Benson is talking about, and that he won't discuss details of that night without his lawyer present.

Watch the full interrogation video above.