A man accused of attempting to shoot and kill three Fairfield police officers in 2011 took the witness stand at his trial on February 27.
Stated Jordan C. Hughes, “It’s not in my heart to hurt people.” He was referring to the incident during which he had emptied his revolver at three police officers who scrambled to escape the gunshots after they had discovered Hughes in the bathroom of a North Texas Street apartment. Hughes’s girlfriend had called 911 to ask police to check their apartment. She feared, she said, Hughes might be lying in wait for her to return; the couple had fought earlier in the day.
“I had no idea there were police officers in my house that day. Period,” Hughes testified. He also explained why he had locked himself in his bathroom with a loaded gun the night of June 26, 2011.
“I was smoking weed and thinking about killing myself,” he testified. While doing so, he stated he could hear yelling outside the bathroom door, but could not make out the words being yelled.
Police earlier had testified that they shouted out warnings and identified themselves repeatedly upon entering the apartment. Only then did they break down the bathroom door. “I thought I would frighten off whoever was in my apartment,” Hughes said. So he opened fire when the bathroom door burst open.
Earlier in the trial, three police officers described what it was like being shot at. One officer stated a shot barely missed his head.
Hughes did not explain why, after he was done shooting, he was able to clearly understand police as they talked him into surrendering and coming out of the bathroom. He also said that for several minutes after he had emptied his weapon he did not realized he himself had been shot in the chest by a .40 caliber bullet, as police had returned fire.
The trial is set, after final arguments, to be turned over to the jury this week.
Read More: Daily Republic
