CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) —A police detective has testified that a Black West Virginia teenager had a BB gun in his waistband but nothing in his hands when he was fatally shot by a White man, local reports said Friday.
15-year-old James Means (left) was shot Nov. 21 by 62-year-old William Pulliam (right). (Photos/GoFundMe and the Charleston Police Department)
Police say 15-year-old James Means was shot Nov. 21 by 62-year-old William Pulliam after they bumped into each other outside a Charleston store and twice exchanged words.
Pulliam, who faces a first-degree murder charge, said in a jailhouse interviews that he shot in self-defense after feeling threatened.
Media organizations report Charleston Police Det. Chris Lioi testified Thursday that Means had a BB gun in his waistband, though video footage showed nothing in his hands when he was shot.
Pulliam’s attorney Richard Holicker said neither he nor his client have seen the footage.