ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The attorney for the man charged in Saturday's fatal shooting inside West County Center, says his client was merely protecting himself and should be released.
"It's a classic case of self-defense," says Donnell Smith.
Smith told reporters Thursday that 21-year-old Jason Hill was shopping with his girlfriend when they went into the Champs store at about 6:20 p.m. He says four men entered the store. One walked up to Hill, who stepped back and let him pass. Then, Smith says, 20-year-old Malachi Maclin of Florissant approached Hill.
"(Maclin) said something about killing (Hill)," he says. "He just him. There was no argument, at all. He just hit him in the face."
After that, Smith says Hill was on his back and pulled a gun to protect himself and Maclin pulled a gun as well and at that point shots were fired. Smith says Hill did not know Maclin.
Hill left through the back of the store, Smith says, because he feared the other three men who came in with Maclin. He and his girlfriend then went to their vehicle where Hill called his mother.
"He told his mother that he was just involved in the shooting. Doing what a mother would do, she told him, 'get somewhere safe,'" Smith says.
Weapons are not allowed in West County Center, but Smith says, "Thank God he had a gun, because we'd be talking about something else had he not."
Hill, according to Smith, is cooperating with the investigation, including voluntarily handing over his cell phone so investigators can confirm that he did not know Maclin.
"This is a case," Smith says, "where they have a video recording of what took place. This is a case where they have the accused making a voluntary statement that's consistent with that recording. This is a case where the accused surrendered the firearm, surrendered himself. Surely, this is a case they cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt."
Asked why he thinks St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell filed the charges including 2nd degree murder, Smith said it could have to do with where the crime occurred, "It happened in West County Mall, that is an affluent community...I think this case is being treated differently."
Bell issued a statement saying, "The investigation is ongoing, and as a result it would be premature to comment at this time."
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