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Defendant in shooting case told police he intended to scare off woman

Farid S. Rakin told Waukegan police investigators that he did not mean to kill Ciera Davis when he fired several shots at her outside a Waukegan house party in June 2017, according to a video played Wednesday at Rakin's murder trial.

Davis, 24, was behind the wheel of her SUV when she was struck by two of the shots and was later pronounced dead. Rakin's lawyers have indicated that they will argue the 51-year-old Waukegan man acted in self-defense.

On Wednesday, the third day of the trial, prosecutors played a one hour and 40 minute video of Rakin speaking to investigators that was recorded shortly after Rakin was apprehended in August 2017. After initially telling Waukegan Detective Charles Schletz that he didn't shoot at Davis, Rakin eventually said that he did.

Rakin said Davis was ramming his car when a man standing next to Rakin pulled out a pistol and asked if he should deal with Davis. Rakin, who did not identify the man, said he turned the man down and took the gun.

Rakin, who is left-handed, said he put the gun in his right hand and fired at the SUV several times.

"I just wanted to scare her off," Rakin told investigators on the video.

The shooting followed a fight at the party between Davis and a woman named Nicole, whom Rakin was dating. Rakin told investigators he'd been involved with Davis in the past and didn't invite her to the party because he believed she and Nicole would fight.

After the fight, Davis went outside and started damaging Rakin's car, which was parked in the driveway, according to witness testimony Tuesday. After trying to break his car windows, Davis got in her SUV and started ramming Rakin's car, according to witnesses.

The prosecution rested its case against Rakin Wednesday.

The trial will resume Thursday.

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