Me refusing.
The gun coming out.
The struggle.
The first shot into the porch beam.
Chaos.
I looked away before the later gunfire.
I did not need to see it again.
Brenda did.
Her face changed.
Not dramatically.
But I watched her finally see the full chain.
Her fake rule.
Her instructions.
Darren’s gun.
My porch.
His injuries.
One decision connected to the next.
My testimony lasted almost two hours.
The defense attorney tried to focus heavily on my military background.
“You were trained in combat?”
“Yes.”
“You knew how to respond physically?”
“I knew how to respond to a threat.”
“You were more capable than an average homeowner?”
“I don’t know how to measure that.”
“You disarmed Mr. Cole.”
“I fought to keep a gun from being pointed at me.”
“And then you shot him.”
“Yes.”
“Twice.”
“Yes.”
“He was unarmed by then.”
“He continued moving toward me and the weapon despite commands to stop.”
