Man accused of shooting at Hillsborough County deputies takes the stand
Defendant testifies in 'Stand your Ground' hearing
FOX 13's Kylie Jones shares what happened in the courtroom on Friday as a man took the stand who is accused of trying to murder Hillsborough County deputies during a welfare check in 2021.
TAMPA - The man who's accused of shooting at Hillsborough County deputies outside his home in 2021 took the stand on Friday.
Harold Lewis testified during his own Stand Your Ground hearing, saying he fired his gun strictly in defense.
The backstory:
Lewis is charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
In 2021, Hillsborough County deputies were called for a welfare check on Lewis' son at his home.
Lewis said he didn't know deputies were outside and thought there was an intruder.
This week, body camera footage was shown in court, where deputies could be heard announcing themselves outside Lewis' home and telling him to come outside.
Investigators say Lewis fired at least seven shots. They say no deputies returned fire.
Lewis' attorney, Richard Escobar, argued that Lewis couldn't hear the yelling.
He also said Lewis was involuntarily intoxicated because of a combination of substances in his system, including allergy medicine and about half a glass of wine.
On Friday, Lewis testified that his son yelled that there was a man with a gun.
Lewis repeatedly said his reaction was strictly in defense and out of fear.
PREVIOUS: 'Stand Your Ground' hearing underway for Hillsborough man accused of shooting at deputies
He said he didn't know how many shots he fired.
"I was scared that there was a gunman on the doorstep, about to come into the house and kill me and (Lewis' son). 'Where was (Lewis' son) at that point in time?' He was behind me,' Lewis said.
The other side:
In a fiery cross-examination, the state tried to poke holes in Lewis' testimony, questioning his memory of the incident.
The prosecutor argued that Lewis' testimony conflicted with previous statements he made about what exactly happened that day.
She also argued that Lewis didn't make sure his son was safe before getting his gun.
"If it were true that someone was about to intrude your house in this home invasion, if that were true, because of your lack of protecting (Lewis' son), when he went and opened that front door again, he would have been shot and killed that day, wouldn't he?" the prosecutor said.
The fourth day of the Stand Your Ground hearing wrapped up Friday afternoon.
What's next:
Closing statements are expected on Tuesday.
If the judge agrees with the defense that Lewis was standing his ground, he could be released immediately. If not, the case will move forward to trial.
CLICK HERE:>>> Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones.