Michael Dunn, takes the stand in his own defense during his trial in Jacksonville, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014.
A Florida man charged with killing a teenager after a fight about loud music testified in a Duvall County courthouse in Jacksonville, Florida Thursday that he acted in self-defense.
Michael Dunn, 47, said that he felt threatened after a verbal altercation with three teenagers who were parked next to his car and playing “thumping” music outside a convenience store near Jacksonville, Fla. in November 2012, the Associated Press reports.
Dunn said someone in the car called him a “cracker,” a derogatory term for white people, and that he thought he saw a gun barrel pointed at him from the vehicle.
According to his testimony, one of the African-American teenagers then stepped out of the car, prompting Dunn to fire several shots at the vehicle, ultimately killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis.
Dunn, whose lawyers invoked the controversial “stand your ground” defense, was reportedly teary-eyed during the testimony.
After the defense rested its case, prosecutors called Dunn’s fiancé Rhonda Rouer to the stand, who contradicted part of his testimony. Rouer said Dunn never told her he saw a gun pointed at him during the incident.
Investigators did not find a weapon in the teens’ car.
Final arguments are expected Wednesday.