The man accused of killing a visiting teacher on the campus of Catholic University in July 2023 took the stand in his own defense Wednesday and said the shooting was unintentional.
Jaime Macedo told the court he did not pull the trigger and that the gun was in his pocket and just went off.
The mother of the victim, Maxwell Emerson, was in tears in court when Macedo took the stand, and she cried through much of his testimony.
Macedo told the court he never intended to rob Emerson that day and when they got to the park on the campus of Catholic university, things went sideways.
Macedo told the court he had lost his job and was looking for money when he encountered Emerson near the Brookland Metro station on the morning of July 5, 2023.
“We were walking together. He did not know I had a gun… I was just trying to get money…. I told him about my kids and about my troubles, he was listening. He said he felt for me and agreed to help me,” Macedo told the court.
During the trial, prosecutors showed photos and video of the two men walking together. At one point, Emerson is seen putting his hands in the air.
Macedo testified they first tried to find an ATM before Emerson agreed to send Macedo money through Cash App. but he said, “In the park, the vibe changed. He said he sent me money on Cash App, but I showed him [on the app] that it [the money] wasn’t there, and that’s when he attacked me.”
Macedo told the court the two were together for nearly 30 minutes when Emerson suddenly tackled him.
“I couldn’t get him off me and then the gun went off and he fell to the side. The gun was in my pocket. I did not pull the trigger. I don’t know how the gun went off”.
But on cross examination, Macedo admitted he did get the money from Cash App – $300 — but said when he showed it to Emerson in the park that morning, it wasn’t there.
Macedo also told the court he ran from the scene because he was confused and scared but admitted throwing away some of his clothing.
At one point, Macedo broke down on the stand when he was asked about his kids.
In another twist, the judge in the case allowed the defense to make a second opening statement because until last week, the prosecution failed to turn over video of the two men walking together that morning — evidence the judge said could help the defense.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/SVoTkQv
0 Comments