Opinion ID: 1953051
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence Presented by the Defense

Text: Alcindore testified in his own behalf to the circumstances surrounding the shooting. He admitted shooting Ames, and explained that he did so because Ames jumped out of his vehicle, and attacked him and he attacked a gun and that's why the gun went off and I guess he got shot. He testified that before the encounter, he was driving around campus looking for passengers. He denied making a gesture with his finger at Ames. He testified that Ames ran toward him with his hand in his pocket, pointing it, cursing and stating, you want some of this. Alcindore described Ames as a big, strong guy with big hands and kind of a big stomach and he was fuming. He was angry. I couldn't tell what was going on with him. It just looked like he was just crazy. Alcindore testified that Ames came to the car and said you want to get killed, nigger before jamming him with his left hand open on the right side of his mouth. He said that he kicked back in the car to avoid that blow, and Ames hit him on the cheek bone with a closed fist. Alcindore testified that he kicked back again and [Mr. Ames] went like this up side my head and grabbed me in the left hand in the throat and the right hand felt likefelt immediately the right hand clamping my neck and he started choking and squeezing and shaking my head and was still saying I'll kill you bitch ass, nigger, I'll kill you, nigger. I was horrified. I wasI couldn't understand what was going on. Id. Alcindore testified that he could not say anything because Ames choked him for almost thirty seconds to a minute. According to Alcindore, this led him to reach down underneath the mat where [he] kept the pistol in a towel and [he] pulled up [his] pistol and that's when [he] felt an ease. [He] was able to ask him to back off. And [he] felt an ease immediately that same left hand came flying trying to grab the pistol. At that [he] came up with the pistol with the hammer cocked and the latch dropped. So when [appellant] tried to grab the pistol it was it was [sic] innocent reflex reaction then boom. Alcindore admitted firing the gun twice. He explained that he obtained the weapon because he had been shot in 1993 in front of his home after parking his cab. [6] Alcindore testified that after the shooting, he maneuvered his car around Ames and went to a friend's house first, but decided not to tell him of the shooting. He left after a minute or two, and placed the gun in a bag and threw it into a dumpster. He went home briefly and then traveled to New York to talk to a friend who is an attorney. When Alcindore learned that there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest, he returned to Washington, D.C. and turned himself in.