Krieg Butler, 38, took the stand in his defense Wednesday after prosecutors rested the case.
He's on trial on charges of tampering with evidence and improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle. Butler shot and killed 13-year-old Sinzae Reed in October 2022.
Prosecutors agree with the defense that the shooting was in self defense, but said Butler shouldn't have had a loaded gun in his vehicle, and claimed that he handed off the gun he used to shoot Reed in order to hide it from police.
Prosecutor David Zeyen called police officers to the stand and played video from Butler's interrogation two years ago where he made his initial claims of self defense. But police wanted Butler to produce the gun he used and he didn't at first. Butler did tell them he gave the gun to a family member later.
Butler also attempted to explain away why he was on his way to paint his truck when police arrested him.
"All we know is we've got a kid that was shot, and we've got people telling us that you did it and we don't know where you're at. So we have an obligation. We have a requirement by law to issue that warrant," an officer stated in an interrogation.
Prosecutors and the defense both spoke about a man who left the area to apparently go into hiding in West Virginia after the shooting. Butler said the man was a former boyfriend of the mother of his 12 kids and threatened to kill Butler after the woman told him Butler was abusing her.
The defense said Butler feared the man would shoot him or hire someone to shoot him. Though no weapons were found with Reed's body, police and prosecutors say someone removed a gun from the scene after the shooting.
"We already documented that this isn't some random 13-year-old boy. We know who he is," the interrogator said.
Witnesses said it appears someone also combed the area for shell casings after the shooting.
Prosecutors rested their case, and the defense began presenting theirs. The defense questioned the relative of Butler's who kept the gun after the shooting until turning it over to police.
While on the stand, Butler told the jury he didn't report the shooting after it happened because he wasn't sure what to do. He went to his job instead of his home because he was afraid for his safety. He said he gave the gun to a relative, because he felt that was a safe place for it. When Zeyen asked Buler why he gave away the gun if he was still scared, he didn't have an answer.
Butler's attorneys are expected to deliver closing arguments on Thursday.
