Journal photo / Andrew Dickerman
Detective Timothy C. McGann, testifying this morning during the trial of Esteban Carpio, describes the events that led to the death of Detective Sgt. James Allen.

This morning, Providence police detective Timothy McGann testified that he frantically tried getting back into an interview room to help Allen on the night he was killed.

McGann told the jurors in Providence Superior Court that he had been in the room with Allen and Carpio but left to get Carpio water at Carpio's request.

McGann heard the door slam shut behind him, discovered that it was locked from inside and tried twice to force it open by running into the door and slamming into it with his body.

From inside the room, McGann heard Allen calling for help, the sounds of "people crashing into walls," and gunshots.

"Jimmy's yelling for help," McGann said. "I was in a frantic state trying to get into the room."

McGann heard more shots. He and another detective yelled to Allen and Carpio. It took three hits with a metal sledge hammer to finally open the door.

Inside, McGann saw a room in disarray and his fellow detective dead on the floor.

McGann began testifying on Friday. He said that Carpio was not under arrest when officers were questioning him on April 16, 2005, after the stabbing of 84-year-old Madeline Gatta.

In Carpio’s trial before Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause, the prosecution has painted the picture of Carpio as a cold-blooded killer who craftily sized up the situation and struck at Allen when he spotted a weakness.

In stark contrast, the defense argues that Carpio is a psychotic and cannot be held legally responsible for what his lead lawyer concedes he did – stab an elderly woman and kill a police detective.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith