OAKLAND — An Oakland man accused of murdering two people during the sale of an assault rifle took the stand this week and admitted to being the killer, but said he only shot both men after they pointed a gun at him first.
Ronyae Haywood, 27, went through the double shooting step by step, testifying that his life flashed before his eyes as one of the men he’s accused of murdering pointed a gun at him and announced to Haywood that he was being robbed. Haywood said he remembered thinking, “There’s a gun at my stomach.”
“I’ve never had a gun pointed at me before,” Haywood testified, later adding he was repeating in his head, “ ’I’m going to get shot, I’m going to get shot’ … I’m not mad at all. I’m scared (expletive).”
Haywood is accused of murdering Duane Palmer Jr., 28, of Oakland and Tyler Dalton Kline, 27, of Dublin in a March 2020 shooting in San Leandro. He testified that after placing an assault rifle in Palmer and Kline’s trunk — a gun he had agreed to sell them — one of them told him “this one’s on you,” basically announcing the robbery, and that Palmer grabbed a pistol and pointed it directly at him.
On cross-examination, prosecutors asked Haywood why — when questioned by police — he denied any involvement in the shooting rather than telling them it was self-defense. Haywood said he didn’t trust the officers, who he said were pretending to be his friend while they peppered him with questions.
Haywood said he wasn’t just trying to defend himself, but also his girlfriend, Angel Shavers, 21, who is on trial alongside him facing accessory charges.
“I’m here for protecting my loved ones,” he said on the stand.
Closing arguments are expected next week. The trial was briefly paused Tuesday morning, after a courtroom attendee allegedly threatened Shavers, the Davis Vanguard reported.
0 comments:
Post a Comment