Trial Begins For Man Who Shot And Killed An Unarmed Black Woman On His Front Porch

Theodore Wafer, 55, is charged with the murder of 19-year-old Renisha McBride in a Detroit suburb.

Wafer fatally shot McBride in the face on the front porch of his Dearborn Heights, Mich., home on Nov. 2, 2013. Wafer told police that he thought McBride was an intruder trying to break into his home when he found her banging on his front door at 4:30 a.m. He faces second-degree murder, manslaughter, and felony firearms charges.

Theodore Wafer waits for the start of his trial at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit on Wednesday.

AP

After shooting McBride, Wafer called 911 and told police that he shot somebody on his front porch. In their opening statement, the prosecution called Wafer's action "unnecessary, unjustified, and unreasonable." The defense argued that Wafer became terrified when he heard McBride at his front door and grabbed his gun after he couldn't find his cell phone. "He sees half a figure, and he shoots," Wafer's attorney said.

19-year-old Renisha McBride.

AP Photo/Detroit News


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