Friend: Man suspected in killing brought gun to drug deal

Just before police say Danny Fields shot and killed a 20-year-old man in an apparent marijuana deal gone bad Friday night, he showed his friend his semi automatic handgun.

“I’ve got my gun if anything goes wrong,” he told Timothy McGruder.

Minutes later, McGruder told police, Zechariah Gardner had stolen marijuana from Fields and was running from the vehicle. Fields grabbed his gun and chased him. McGruder heard three gun shots.

Gardner later died at Memorial Hospital and Fields was arrested.

Fields faces a possible first-degree murder charge and remains in the El Paso County jail where he is being held without bond. On Monday, he was advised of his rights.

An arrest affidavit for Fields details Gardner’s death.

McGruder told police that he was friends with Fields and his wife and they were all in a Chevy pickup truck on the night of the shooting. He told police that Fields had been in contact with Gardner to sell him marijuana and they agreed to meet at a convenience store near Fountain Boulevard and Chelton Road.

About 7:30 p.m. Gardner entered the truck and was handed a bag of marijuana, he smelled it and then handed it back. When Fields put the bag on a scale, McGruder said that Gardner grabbed it and fled. Fields jumped out and ran after him, leaving his door open. Gardner then circled back to the truck and grabbed a large plastic bag that contained two to three smaller bags of marijuana.

Fields continued to chase him and was about 20 feet behind when McGruder said he opened fire. Fields picked up the marijuana bags that McGruder had dropped and drove away in the truck, the affidavit said.

Gardner's death was ruled Colorado Springs' 29^th homicide – a record-breaking number for the city.