Miami Officer Tells Jurors Motorcyclist ‘Aimed at Me’
MIAMI — A police officer who shot a black motorcyclist testified in his own defense Thursday, telling jurors he fired only because he thought he was about to die.
“He just came straight at me and he just revved the motorcycle,†officer William Lozano, 31, testified. “He was just aiming at me. I was just only able to turn my body, draw my gun and shoot.â€
The testimony was broadcast live on television and radio in Miami, where three days of racial violence broke out following the Jan. 16 shooting. Cable News Network carried Lozano’s testimony live nationally.
Twice before in this decade, innocent verdicts favoring policemen accused of killing blacks have led to rioting, and the Miami and Metro-Dade police forces are on alert for renewed violence.
Prosecution witnesses testified that the Latino officer, who faces two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of the motorcyclist and a passenger, coolly took aim and fired as the bike was about to speed past him while being pursued by a police car.
Lozano told the court that he did not see the motorcycle until the last second because his attention was on the lights of the approaching squad car. He said he spotted the bike only after it crossed into the traffic lane where he stood.
Lozano’s attorney Roy Black asked how close the motorcycle came.
“(So) close that I thought I might die, that I was going to be run over and I was going to die,†he said. “I feared for my life.â€
Lozano described how the situation quickly degenerated as an angry crowd gathered around the two victims. The bullet struck the driver, Clement Lloyd, 23, in the head, killing him instantly. Lloyd’s passenger, Allan Blanchard, 24, died the next day of head injuries suffered in the subsequent crash.
“I was a target for every person there,†Lozano testified, saying he was “getting hit right and left†by rocks and bottles at one point.
On cross-examination, prosecutors picked away at Lozano’s testimony that he did not see the oncoming motorcycle until just before he drew and fired.
Assistant State Atty. John Hogan pointed to testimony from two officers who interviewed Lozano after the incident. They said he told them he entered the street because he “became aware†a police car was chasing a motorcycle.
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