0
0
An American man is on trial for a very serious case of traffic aggression, in which several bullets were fired. The defendant’s lawyer pleads lawful self-defense and came up with a new element during the trial.
A dashcam video showing the incident from the shooter’s car and proving his innocence. But it remains to be seen whether that will help his cause.
Things quickly heated up on the I-95 highway in Miami, Florida, in the summer of 2021. It started with a sudden maneuver by one of the two drivers and ended with two cars riddled with bullets.
One of the two involved, Eric Popper (30), is now on trial for the facts. However, his lawyer argues that his client acted in self-defense and to substantiate that claim he came with dashcam footage showing the incident from his client’s car.
Those images seem to confirm what the police are saying about the incident. “The defendant abruptly cuts off another driver,” said the officers involved. “When the victim honked the horn, the defendant started yelling and suddenly braked.” When the other driver sticks to Popper’s bumper, Popper – a very calm one – reaches for his gun. The moment the other car drives up next to him, Popper opens fire and fires no less than eleven shots.
According to his lawyer, it is clear from the images that the other driver first opens fire on Popper. However, that version is contradicted by officers, who state that the other driver did not have a firearm in hand, but a bottle of water that he threw at the defendant’s vehicle.
Eric Popper turned himself into police and was released on bail. However, the man now faces up to 15 years in prison.
