‘Terrified’: Gas Station Owner’s Son Says Teen Pointed Gun at Him

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:09]witness stand for the record.

[00:00:20]>> Andy Cow.

[00:00:23]>> Spell your last name.

[00:00:25]>> C H O W. handy out your Okay, >> I know you're a little nervous because we're going to go over some rules. Okay, first you need to speak loudly and clearly enough. I know you're soft spoken, but I need you to speak loudly and clearly enough to so that young lady next to you can take down every word.

[00:00:43]That's the court. You understand?

[00:00:45]>> Yes, sir.

[00:00:46]>> She cannot take down head nods and shakes and things of that nature. So, make sure you speak yes, no, and so on.

[00:00:52]Is that fair?

[00:00:53]>> Yes, sir.

[00:00:55]I don't anticipate it knowing your demeanor, but we cannot argue with one another. So, if you will give me a chance to ask my question, I will give you a chance to answer. Is that fair?

[00:01:05]>> Yes, sir.

[00:01:06]>> And if you do not understand a question that is being asked of you from anyone, you have the right to ask for it to be said again. Is that fair?

[00:01:14]>> Yes, sir.

[00:01:15]>> And then in your testimony, you cannot testify to what other people think or in their minds or anything of that nature.

[00:01:21]You can testify about your memory and what you know. Is that fair?

[00:01:24]>> Yes, sir.

[00:01:25]>> You understand all of those rules?

[00:01:26]>> Yes, sir.

[00:01:27]>> So, understanding all that, Andy, first we need to figure out who Andy Chow is.

[00:01:32]So, Andy, tell me a little bit about yourself today. How old are you?

[00:01:36]>> I am 23. Okay.

[00:01:38]>> Where are you from?

[00:01:39]>> Um, here Columbia, South Carolina.

[00:01:42]>> Born?

[00:01:42]>> I was born in Greenville.

[00:01:46]>> Um, what year?

[00:01:47]>> Uh, 2002.

[00:01:49]>> Who are your parents?

[00:01:50]>> Um, Alice and Rick Chow.

[00:01:52]>> Okay. And Alice Chow is that young lady on the end right there with the short hair, short black hair.

[00:01:57]>> Yes, sir.

[00:01:58]>> And who is Rick Chow? Is that him right there?

[00:02:00]>> Yes, sir.

[00:02:01]>> What is his real name? Like you keep saying Rick. I don't think Rick's his real name, is it?

[00:02:06]>> Is uh Chiao?

[00:02:08]>> Ch.

[00:02:09]>> Chow.

[00:02:10]>> You have any brother or sisters?

[00:02:12]>> I have a older brother.

[00:02:13]>> What's his name?

[00:02:14]>> Uh Kenneth Chow.

[00:02:17]>> Where'd you go to school?

[00:02:19]>> I went to Hammond.

[00:02:20]>> Hammond. Hi.

[00:02:23]Hammond School.

[00:02:24]>> A Cammon School. I don't know what it's called. It's here in Columbia.

[00:02:26]>> Yes, sir.

[00:02:27]>> And when did you graduate from Hammond?

[00:02:29]>> Uh 2021.

[00:02:31]>> Play any sports or do anything in Hammond?

[00:02:33]>> I was a swimmer.

[00:02:34]>> Swimmer. What did you swim? What was your event?

[00:02:37]>> I was uh brush stroker and a freestyler.

[00:02:40]>> Were they any good?

[00:02:41]>> Uh I was okay.

[00:02:43]>> You won a state championship.

[00:02:45]>> Uh yes, sir.

[00:02:46]>> So you were pretty good swimmer in high school.

[00:02:48]>> Yes.

[00:02:49]>> Did you go to college? I went to the University of South Carolina.

[00:02:53]>> And when did you graduate from USC?

[00:02:55]>> 2025.

[00:02:57]>> And degree? What do you have a degree in or what did you graduate with?

[00:03:00]>> Computer information systems.

[00:03:03]>> And your love computers. Who'd you get that from?

[00:03:06]>> My my dad.

[00:03:07]>> Your dad. Who was he was a professor, right? Of computers.

[00:03:10]>> Yes. Okay.

[00:03:12]>> What do you do now? Do you work?

[00:03:14]>> Uh, yes.

[00:03:15]>> What do you do?

[00:03:16]>> I'm at Buchar.

[00:03:18]>> How long have you been there?

[00:03:20]uh 3 days.

[00:03:21]>> Okay. So, you just started working >> and Andy from your demeanor, you're a This is how you are. You're very just kind of quiet guy.

[00:03:33]>> Yes, sir.

[00:03:34]>> All right. So, I want to make sure that we, you know, understand all the questions we're asking. I know you're quiet, but I need you to speak loud enough so I want you to speak loud enough so this person at the back of the jury panel can hear everything you're saying. Okay.

[00:03:46]>> Yes, sir.

[00:03:46]>> Is that fair?

[00:03:49]And Annie, tell me about your parents in a business. Did they own a business?

[00:03:57]>> Uh, yes, sir.

[00:03:58]>> What business did they own?

[00:03:59]>> A gas station.

[00:04:01]>> Do you know where it was located?

[00:04:03]>> Um, 7441 Park Lane Road.

[00:04:06]>> What type of just a convenience store?

[00:04:08]Was it just gas? Did it have other stuff? What did that store have?

[00:04:11]>> It was gas station and convenience store.

[00:04:14]>> And what about you? Did you work there?

[00:04:17]I I came in on the weekends and during uh school uh breaks.

[00:04:23]>> Okay. And you work for your family?

[00:04:25]>> Yes, sir.

[00:04:26]>> Did you get paid?

[00:04:27]>> No.

[00:04:28]>> We'll discuss that. But you did not get paid in working for your family. It sounds like we'll talk to Alice and Rick about that at a later point in time.

[00:04:34]>> Um now I want to take you to a more serious event. I want to talk about what we're here for.

[00:04:40]>> Okay.

[00:04:41]>> You remember the date?

[00:04:43]>> Uh >> you remember when it happened?

[00:04:45]>> Yes, sir. So, I'm not going to interrupt you. I want you to tell the jury what happened that day from your point of view. You want to tell them what happened?

[00:04:51]>> Uh, okay. Um, so I watched young man come in to the uh to the store and I I was stocking things onto the shelf.

[00:05:06]And so I went to the register and um I hear my mom ask him to leave his backpack at the front of the store.

[00:05:18]And so he does and he starts to go around the store and then I see he he goes to the water cooler and he that's when I think he pockets a water and so he comes to the front starts coming to the front and I ask him if there's anything in his pocket and he says no. my mom um she asked him also asked him and uh then I see he turns to both of us and he tries to show there's nothing in his pocket but he keeps his hands in the pocket and still like trying to hide something.

[00:06:02]And so after that he turns around he grabs his backpack and walks out the door. And while he's going out the door and both hands are out of the pocket now, I see something heavy just uh droop down in his uh hoodie pocket.

[00:06:20]And so that's when I come around the counter and I call out to him, "Hey." Um and he doesn't turn around. He just keeps going. And so I walk to the door.

[00:06:32]I walk out the door and I see he turns the corner of this door. And so I walk over to the corner and then I hear my dad come up behind me and he calls out, "Hey," to him and he turns around and immediately turns back around and starts to sprint away. And that's when I start to run.

[00:06:58]And before he leaves the parking lot, um, I see he throws something out to the right. And so I slow down. I slow down for like a second and I glance back and I don't I don't see what he threw. I al I only see trash and um litter. So I immediately turn back around and continue following him. And so I see he crosses the street and I go to cross the street and then I see he trips and um falls flat um on the grass.

[00:07:40]And so I was running full speed so I end up catching up to him. And when I catch up to him I see something is in his hand. I'm not sure what it is yet. Um, but as he starts to get up, I see that it's a gun and he start and he points it at me. So, I immediately put my hands up. I start to back away from him um quickly and then I yell, "He has a gun."

[00:08:14]And I turn to my dad who is coming up behind us and I yell at him again, "He has a gun." And um I'm still backing up and I watch my dad and I hear him I watch him yell, "Drop it, drop it." And he yells, "No." And then pulls his gun and fires one shot.

[00:08:35]And so, um, he, as after the shot, I turn and I look at him and I see he takes one or two steps, drops his gun in front of him, and then ducks to the ground and stays on the ground. And so I I uh come I start to go to uh to him slowly and I see my dad coming on the my left side and when we get to him my dad he picks up um young man's gun and he tosses it to the side further away and then we I I check to see if there's a if he got hit by the shot because I think I thought my dad actually missed.

[00:09:31]And so I check it and I see there's a bullet hole in the hoodie.

[00:09:38]And then I pull up his hoodie and I see there's a the there's a wound um in the back right on on his back back right side of his back. And um then my dad immediately grabs his hoodie and applies pressure to the wound and starts to call the police.

[00:10:02]And then I look back down at him and he's um unresponsive.

[00:10:08]So we flip him over onto his back and my dad immediately starts uh chest compressions and he yells to me to call 911. And so I start to dial 911 and I see three women coming down from the uh parking lot and I continue to talk to 911 and I see one of the ladies, she's hurrying over.

[00:10:37]She's taking her hoodie off and she says she's a EMT and she says she she's going to tie a tourniquet and um she comes over and takes over uh CPR.

[00:10:51]And so I see my dad and her working together. And then I continue to talk to 911 and then I start to hear the sirens coming closer.

[00:11:03]And I go out to check to watch to see if they the the first responders come to us or turn into the parking lot of the gas station. And uh they end up turning into the gas station. So, I go and run to the parking lot. I point all the uh first responders to the scene and after most of them made it there, I make my way back to the scene and I wait to talk to the police.

[00:11:35]>> Would you talk to the police?

[00:11:37]>> Yes, sir.

[00:11:37]>> And did you tell them what you just told this jury?

[00:11:39]>> Yes, sir.

[00:11:43]want to go backwards through your story and talk about a little bit and get some details if that's okay.

[00:11:48]>> Is it >> has been suggested or that you didn't tell anyone you saw a gun pointed at your father or pointed at you? I'm sorry, not your father. A gun pointed at you. Did you tell anyone on scene that a gun was pointed at you?

[00:12:03]>> Um, I did not say the exact words. It was pointed at me.

[00:12:07]>> What did you say?

[00:12:08]>> I said that he had pulled a gun on me.

[00:12:13]And you called 911?

[00:12:14]>> Yes, sir.

[00:12:16]>> Talk to officers?

[00:12:17]>> Yes, sir.

[00:12:19]>> After the young man was shot, did you and your father have time to huddle up, sit down, and talk and talk about anything that happened?

[00:12:26]>> No, sir.

[00:12:28]>> You called. And who told you to call 911?

[00:12:30]>> My dad.

[00:12:32]>> Immediately.

[00:12:32]>> Yes, sir.

[00:12:37]and the 911 call. Is that was the first time you had mentioned about the gun? Is that what you remember?

[00:12:42]>> Yes, sir.

[00:12:46]>> At this point in time, would you like to play Mr. 911 to our brother?

[00:13:10]Thank you.

[00:13:36]Andy, you have listened to the 911 call, correct?

[00:13:39]>> Yes, sir.

[00:13:39]>> And you'll be able to recognize your voice on the 911 call?

[00:13:42]>> Yes, sir.

[00:13:42]>> And you don't believe the 911 call has been altered or anything of that nature?

[00:13:45]>> No, sir.

[00:13:46]>> At this point in time, we would enter Mr. Child's 911 call, Andy Child 911 call, and I think this would be defense.

[00:13:59]be without objection as defense.

[00:14:03]>> Can we play the 911 call please? Just call the pause.

[00:14:35]May 28 2,23 206 and 25 seconds.

[00:14:46]911.

[00:14:50]>> Hello. Can you hear me?

[00:14:51]>> Yes, I can hear you.

[00:14:55]>> Dispatch down her road.

[00:14:58]>> Andy, that person's voice. Is that your voice on the 911 call?

[00:15:01]>> Uh, yes, sir.

[00:15:01]>> And this is the call you were just testifying about.

[00:15:04]>> Yes, sir.

[00:15:04]>> Okay. Can you go ahead and play?

[00:15:07]>> Okay.

[00:15:12]>> You heard fire?

[00:15:15]No, call 911.

[00:15:16]>> How many shots? Did you hear one minute?

[00:15:20]>> There's a voice in the background yelling, "Call 911." Whose voice is that that you hear?

[00:15:25]>> Is my dad?

[00:15:28]>> Just one. Just one.

[00:15:29]>> Okay. Who this time?

[00:15:33]>> Talk to me. Hello.

[00:15:35]>> Um, sir, >> where shot?

[00:15:43]>> Uh, kid right here. Are you with the person?

[00:15:47]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:15:48]>> Okay. Are you with the with you?

[00:15:50]>> He had he had a weapon.

[00:15:54]>> So, okay. The person here was who shot him?

[00:15:59]>> Um, my dad.

[00:16:02]>> Your dad shot him?

[00:16:04]>> Did I hear that correctly that you said he had a weapon and my dad shot him?

[00:16:08]>> Yes, sir.

[00:16:09]>> And that's you to the 911 call?

[00:16:11]>> Yes, sir.

[00:16:14]Yes.

[00:16:20]>> Are you at the SH gas station?

[00:16:22]>> Yes, ma'am. All right. Like a couple feet away.

[00:16:27]>> Okay. Don't hang up. Whatever you do, do not hang up with me. Okay.

[00:16:37]>> Do it.

[00:16:49]calls, please.

[00:16:52]>> And you're still on the phone with 911 at this time?

[00:16:55]>> Yes, sir.

[00:16:55]>> And there's other conversations, other people calling 911 and your father saying, "Call 911." All of this is happening, but you're still on the phone.

[00:17:02]>> Yes, sir.

[00:17:03]>> And this is not giving you an opportunity to talk to your father. So, do you agree?

[00:17:07]>> Yes, sir.

[00:17:07]>> Okay.

[00:17:11]Okay. You said your dad your dad shot him.

[00:17:24]Come on.

[00:17:26]Come on. Come on.

[00:17:44]Can pause, please.

[00:17:46]>> And this is You're still on the phone with 911. You have not hung up the phone.

[00:17:51]>> Uh, yes, sir.

[00:17:52]>> Um, and no one is telling you what to say.

[00:17:56]>> No, sir.

[00:17:56]>> Not during this time. No one is telling you what to say or what to do or anything of that nature?

[00:17:59]>> No, sir.

[00:18:02]Someone doing CPR.

[00:18:16]>> Where's the person that happened?

[00:18:18]Where's your father?

[00:18:19]>> Uh, he's trying to >> Your father's trying to help.

[00:18:26]>> What did you just say to let the 911 operate?

[00:18:28]um that my dad was trying to help.

[00:18:30]>> And this is while you're on the phone with 911 while everything is happening.

[00:18:34]>> Yes, sir.

[00:18:34]>> No one told you what to say?

[00:18:36]>> No, sir.

[00:18:54]no longer.

[00:19:12]>> Why did your father show him?

[00:19:14]What's the problem?

[00:19:16]>> Okay. That is the 911 operator asked me a very direct question. Is that fair?

[00:19:20]>> Yes, sir.

[00:19:21]>> And you're still watching everything that's happening?

[00:19:23]>> Yes, sir.

[00:19:24]>> Okay.

[00:19:27]>> So, he uh he was killing something, I think. I'm not sure cuz we're over here.

[00:19:34]But um uh and then we're saving him.

[00:19:38]>> Your father works in the gas station.

[00:19:42]>> Yeah. Oh, okay.

[00:19:47]>> And he uh he pulled out a gun the last time my dad pulled his hip off.

[00:19:54]>> What did you say right there?

[00:19:56]>> Um so I say that he had pulled a pistol on us and then I say he pulled a gun on us and that's when my dad pulled his.

[00:20:05]>> Okay. So you say two different statements is going over there. You say he pulled a pistol on us and he pulled a gun on us. Yes. Okay, continue.

[00:20:30]>> You said your name.

[00:20:36]Okay.

[00:20:50]on the way.

[00:20:51]>> All right.

[00:20:56]Are you still?

[00:20:58]>> Uh, yes, ma'am.

[00:21:10]Okay. Okay. All right.

[00:21:17]>> So, what we just heard was you calling 911?

[00:21:20]>> Yes, sir.

[00:21:20]>> And again, who did you say told you to call 911?

[00:21:23]>> My dad.

[00:21:23]>> And it was immediately afterwards?

[00:21:25]>> Yes, sir.

[00:21:26]>> And we heard your dad on the 911 call?

[00:21:30]>> Yes, sir. After you got off a 911 call, what happened next?

[00:21:37]>> Um, I can't remember if I I was already at the parking lot, but I made it to the parking lot. I point the first responders down and then I made my way back to the scene and uh I wait there till the police talked to me. It wasn't that long after the 911 call or was it >> or do you remember?

[00:22:05]>> I don't remember.

[00:22:07]>> Um during that time while you were waiting for law enforcement, did you and your father have time to talk, plan a story or anything of that nature?

[00:22:14]>> No, sir.

[00:22:15]>> And then an officer talked to you. You remember the first officer who talked to you?

[00:22:23]>> Uh yes.

[00:22:24]>> Do you remember his name by any chance?

[00:22:26]>> Officer English.

[00:22:27]>> Officer English. Do you think I was the first one to talk to you?

[00:22:29]>> Yes, sir.

[00:22:34]>> And at this point in time, did you ask for a lawyer?

[00:22:36]>> No, sir.

[00:22:37]>> Did you say, "I don't want to talk?"

[00:22:40]>> No, sir.

[00:22:40]>> Did you say get away from me? Anything like that?

[00:22:43]>> No, sir.

[00:22:43]>> But you had a full conversation with him when he asked you what happened?

[00:22:46]>> Yes, sir.

[00:22:52]>> Objection be just um foundation authentic authentication. Um I think you can ask him about statements in it. I don't believe he can introduce that to this particular witness >> to suggest a claim of fabrication one body.

[00:23:08]>> This would be English's body cam which is sorry.

[00:23:14]>> Yes. English's body cam.

[00:23:17]Got >> I'm sorry. Yes.

[00:23:31]And so you were familiar with having a conversation with English on scene?

[00:23:34]>> Yes, sir.

[00:23:35]>> You had a conversation with him without lawyer or anybody else present?

[00:23:39]>> Yes, sir.

[00:23:40]>> You at this point in time and we'll offer this as defense five.

[00:23:50]Defense three. Um, this has already been looked at, but this is the unmuted copy of what Mr. Chow would have said that day. That makes sense. The state has already offered a muted copy under the rules of what they were required. Now, we're just offering an unmuted copy.

[00:24:03]>> Okay. And be admitted states three without three without objection.

[00:24:18]>> Pause. It's all right.

[00:24:21]Who is that in the video?

[00:24:23]>> That is me.

[00:24:24]>> Okay. And this is the conversation you were talking about that you were having with the officer.

[00:24:27]>> Yes, sir.

[00:24:28]>> Okay. Can we go and play? Um, so I was at the register watching it because I think my mom said, "Hey, pause for me.

[00:25:23]Come on.

[00:25:39]I >> Well, I caught up to him there, >> right?

[00:25:44]>> I mean, and then he kept going. He tripped there.

[00:25:47]>> Um, that's when I caught him again and we were about those like two pipes.

[00:25:52]>> Yeah.

[00:25:52]>> Um, I was like right on top and I saw you pull it out again. Where's that weapon at now? It was right there next to that second tree where the other two people are where it might be right now.

[00:26:07]>> Okay.

[00:26:12]>> So, you're telling officer what happened at this point.

[00:26:15]>> Yes, sir.

[00:26:16]>> And you had mentioned pulling out a firearm right then and there.

[00:26:18]>> Yes, sir.

[00:26:19]>> And you did the little finger gesture.

[00:26:21]>> Yes, sir.

[00:26:23]>> Why didn't you continue telling this officer what had happened on that scene?

[00:26:27]Um, he walked away from me.

[00:26:30]>> And he walked away as you were telling him what happened.

[00:26:32]>> Yes, sir.

[00:26:34]>> And then you ended up talking to another officer.

[00:26:36]>> Yes, sir.

[00:26:38]>> Were you able to tell that other officer fully what happened?

[00:26:42]>> Or more?

[00:26:43]>> Yes, sir.

[00:26:44]>> You didn't tell this officer to walk away, did you?

[00:26:47]>> No, sir.

[00:26:48]>> You didn't tell him to go away?

[00:26:50]>> No, sir.

[00:26:50]>> Did he ask you any details about your statement whatsoever?

[00:26:54]>> No, sir. And there's one line in there where you say, "I'm on top of him." Did he say, "What did that mean?"

[00:26:58]>> No, sir.

[00:26:59]>> What did that mean when you say, "I'm on top of him?" Did you actually physically get on top of this young man?

[00:27:03]>> No, sir.

[00:27:03]>> So, what did that mean when you say that?

[00:27:05]>> I was about arms length. I was close enough to be able to touch him, but I was I did not touch him at all.

[00:27:16]>> And then you give and I see you talk with your hands. Yes, sir. Did you have another conversation with officer Carter as he got on the scene? Uh, >> or another officer. You may not know his name.

[00:27:29]>> Another officer. Yes.

[00:27:30]>> And tell me what you told him.

[00:27:32]>> I told him um we thought he stole something.

[00:27:39]I thought he stole something and so I chased him and followed him down to where the scene was and I so he uh pulled a gun out and I gestured to the side to pointing to the side with the gun and then I say I I backed up with my hands up and then I see my dad um yell will or I say that he has a gun. He has a gun and I see my dad yell no or drop the gun. Drop it. No.

[00:28:19]And then he pulls in and fired.

[00:28:22]>> Now you told us all this to officer Carter.

[00:28:24]>> Yes, sir.

[00:28:25]>> And I think you said you did some hand gestures. So one was the first hand gesture you did when you talked to Officer Carter?

[00:28:31]>> Uh I said he had pulled a gun out >> and I gestured to the side pointing it.

[00:28:37]And so you did the gesture as he's pointed at you.

[00:28:39]>> Yes, sir.

[00:28:40]>> Okay. And then what' you do next?

[00:28:41]>> And then I put my hands up and I say, "I'm backing up."

[00:28:44]>> Okay. And you did this on the video?

[00:28:46]>> Yes, sir.

[00:28:47]>> And that is the video right next to when it this whole thing happened.

[00:28:50]>> Yes, sir.

[00:28:51]>> Okay. Nobody was telling you what to say.

[00:28:54]>> No, sir.

[00:28:54]>> What to do?

[00:28:55]>> No, sir.

[00:28:56]>> No lawyer?

[00:28:56]>> No, sir.

[00:28:57]>> No conversation with your father. just this isn't his way to so he's leading trying to not object too much but they need to be direct questions >> just go on I mean >> and then um I gesture that's when my dad shot him um after that >> Andy how did you feel when there was a gun pointed at you >> like terrify What did you think was going to happen?

[00:29:30]>> I thought he was going to shoot me.

[00:29:32]>> Who?

[00:29:32]>> Uh, young man.

[00:29:34]>> Did you think you were going to die?

[00:29:36]>> Yes.

[00:29:36]>> Why?

[00:29:38]>> Cuz he I saw the barrel just pointed straight at me.

[00:29:42]>> And you actually described the barrel, didn't you?

[00:29:44]>> Yes, sir.

[00:29:44]>> How did you describe the barrel of the weapon that was pointed at you on that day?

[00:29:48]>> I said it was a silver barrel and the rest of it was black.

[00:29:59]showing you what's been marked. Well, before you described the firearm, had you seen it again since it was pointed directly at you?

[00:30:07]>> No, sir.

[00:30:08]>> Had anyone showed it to you on scene?

[00:30:10]>> No, sir.

[00:30:11]>> Did you go up and look at it and examine it?

[00:30:13]>> No, sir.

[00:30:20]And your description was what with the barrel?

[00:30:25]>> A silver barrel.

[00:30:27]>> A silver barrel?

[00:30:28]>> Yes, sir.

[00:30:29]>> Okay.

[00:30:33]>> Ever had a gun pointed at you before?

[00:30:35]>> No, sir.

[00:30:46]Now at this point in time we offer detectives Carter body warn camera into evidence if the state wants us to wait till detective Carter will do it as identification only at this point in time but we offer this to support claim of recent application >> at this point just identification we don't have any objection him. He's already I guess M cited what he believes he said in the video.

[00:31:18]>> I'll have a I cannot publish at this point in time until officer Carter testifies authenticated.

[00:31:31]>> Yeah, that's what Oh, sorry. I heard publish. I'm sorry. No, no, I will not until we have that.

[00:31:47]Andy, you are a We've been talking about this and we've watched your demeanor on the video, the 911.

[00:31:55]Pretty calm guy.

[00:31:56]>> Oh, yes, sir.

[00:31:58]>> How were you yelling, "He's got a gun."

[00:32:00]Or were you just saying it like you talk right now? He's got a gun.

[00:32:03]>> No, sir.

[00:32:04]>> How were you saying it?

[00:32:05]>> I I was yelling it.

[00:32:07]>> Yell it. How were you yelling it?

[00:32:09]Um, I was He's got a gun. He's got a gun.

[00:32:15]>> When you said it, were you scared?

[00:32:17]>> Yes.

[00:32:19]>> And who was around you when you were singing it?

[00:32:22]>> My dad.

[00:32:23]>> This guy. Mr. Chap.

[00:32:25]>> Yes, sir.

[00:32:26]>> Your father?

[00:32:28]>> Yes.

[00:32:28]>> Yes, sir.

[00:32:29]>> And he knows you.

[00:32:30]>> Yes, sir.

[00:32:32]>> I would assume your whole life.

[00:32:34]>> Yes, sir.

[00:32:37]What do you believe would have happened had Mr. Chow not shot that gun that day?

[00:32:43]>> I would have died.

[00:32:52]>> Did you actually see the barrel pointed at you?

[00:32:55]>> Yes, sir.

[00:33:04]And I want to go back and talk about the things that have happened in the store because there's been a lot of comments on things that happened in the store that day, Andy.

[00:33:14]And the first question is going to be asked, you chased this kid out of the store and you accused him of shoplifting, right? I mean, you accused him of shoplifting.

[00:33:24]>> I did.

[00:33:27]>> You didn't buy any water? I did not find it.

[00:33:31]>> Why in the world did you think he shoplifted anything?

[00:33:35]>> Uh because of what happened in the store.

[00:33:38]>> But tell the jury again because I mean that's the whole question.

[00:33:42]Why did you think he had done something wrong?

[00:33:45]>> Um so I seen that the water cooler and I believe he pocketed something. He had his back uh to me so I couldn't see. And so when he was walking to the front and I asked him if he had anything in his pocket, he kept his hands in his pocket and I saw his fingers kind of pushing against the uh hoodie pocket to try to hide what was in there. And then when he goes out the door with his hands not in the pocket, I see something heavy just way down. And so in my mind, I I I really I believed he had uh stolen something.

[00:34:28]showing you a screenshot that has been entered from one of the videos presented by the state of South Carolina.

[00:34:36]Do you recognize it?

[00:34:38]>> Uh, yes, sir.

[00:34:40]>> What are we looking at?

[00:34:42]>> He is He's uh doing something with the He's either putting down the backpack or picking it up. I think he's putting it down, >> your honor. But you do recognize it.

[00:34:56]>> Yes, sir.

[00:34:57]>> You recognize it from the day that we're talking about?

[00:34:59]>> Yes, sir.

[00:35:00]>> And it's substantially similar to the videos, the security footage that you have seen.

[00:35:04]>> Yes, sir. At this point in time, we move this in in defensive exhibit four.

[00:35:10]Any photograph beed as exhibit five While they're doing that, I'm going to show you a second screen clip from a video injured by the state of South Carolina and ask, "Do you recognize that?" Uh, yes sir.

[00:36:16]>> Is that a stream clip from the same video that we were just talking about?

[00:36:20]>> Yes sir.

[00:36:20]>> And is that the same image of the young man who was in the store that day?

[00:36:25]>> Yes sir.

[00:36:25]>> And that is from a vantage point you would have seen and recognized.

[00:36:28]>> Uh, yes sir.

[00:36:30]>> Your at this point in time we would offer the second picture that we just talked about as defense exhibit 6.

[00:36:40]>> Yeah. It's just no.

[00:36:42]>> All right. to be noted as defense exhibit 6 without objection. All >> right. So, the first thing we're looking on the screen with, you had said that you had you had seen the young man in the back doing something with water.

[00:36:55]>> Yes, sir.

[00:36:55]>> And then you saw something heavy in his pocket.

[00:36:57]>> Yes, sir.

[00:36:58]>> And and you had assumed that he still had water in his pockets. Correct.

[00:37:02]>> Yes, sir.

[00:37:17]And now showing you that's the same picture of the same young man. If we could zoom in on that front pouch and this is from the vantage point where you were looking at.

[00:37:29]>> Yes, sir.

[00:37:30]>> And this is what tell me what you thought what you were looking at there.

[00:37:33]What did you think you were looking at?

[00:37:35]Um, at this point I didn't think much.

[00:37:41]I just saw he was putting down his backpack.

[00:37:44]>> But you see something bulge in his front, correct?

[00:37:46]>> Uh, yes sir.

[00:37:48]>> Didn't know what it was.

[00:37:49]>> No, sir.

[00:37:58]>> Now, while he's in the store, are you telling your dad, "Hey, something's fishy up here. Something's weird up here." Anything like that? No sir.

[00:38:05]>> Having any conversations with it?

[00:38:07]>> No sir.

[00:38:07]>> Any discussions with it?

[00:38:08]>> No sir.

[00:38:09]>> With anybody other than your mother?

[00:38:11]>> Uh I didn't say anything.

[00:38:14]>> Anything at all?

[00:38:15]>> No sir.

[00:38:15]>> So the decisions you were making that day, whose decisions were they?

[00:38:18]>> Just mine.

[00:38:27]>> And Andy, you realize I mean they're asking the question. You didn't have to go outside that store, did you?

[00:38:36]I don't know. I didn't have to. I >> mean, were you thinking about that at that point in time?

[00:38:42]>> No, sir.

[00:38:43]>> Were you trying to hurt this kid? Did you know him?

[00:38:45]>> No, sir.

[00:38:46]>> Were you chasing him to hurt him?

[00:38:48]>> No, sir.

[00:38:50]>> What in the world were you going to do if you actually caught up to him?

[00:38:53]>> I didn't plan to catch up to him.

[00:38:56]>> What do you mean you didn't plan to catch up with him? We've seen the videos. You're going out there. What do you mean you didn't plan to catch up with him? Did you have a plan? I just wanted to get to see where he was going to tell the police later.

[00:39:09]>> And there's been questions that this case is about four bottles of water. You've heard that?

[00:39:15]>> Yes, sir.

[00:39:18]>> When the gun was pulled on you, were you thinking about water?

[00:39:21]>> No, sir.

[00:39:25]>> Did you say never mind, forget the water at that point in time? Did you say anything about water when this gun was pulled on you?

[00:39:31]No, sir.

[00:39:34]>> And you don't know this guy?

[00:39:36]>> No, sir.

[00:39:36]>> No problems with him?

[00:39:38]>> No, sir.

[00:40:02]Did you have a gun on you that day?

[00:40:04]>> I did not.

[00:40:13]>> Did you say anything to him before he got shot?

[00:40:20]>> Not directly to him. No. All you remember saying is, "He's got a gun.

[00:40:24]He's got a gun."

[00:40:25]>> Yes, sir.

[00:40:26]>> Now, I want to go to that part of your testimony where your hands are up.

[00:40:32]>> Okay.

[00:40:33]>> What were you saying when your hands are up?

[00:40:35]>> He's got a gun.

[00:40:41]At >> any point in time, was the gun dropped when your hands were up?

[00:40:44]>> No, sir.

[00:40:45]>> It stayed on you?

[00:40:47]>> Yes, sir.

[00:40:49]So, if I'm you, I'm saying, "HE'S GOT A GUN. HE'S GOT A GUN." IT'S STILL BEING pointed at.

[00:40:54]>> Yes, sir.

[00:40:58]>> And who was the person you WERE YELLING?

[00:41:00]HE'S GOT A GUN. HE'S GOT A GUN. WHO ARE YOU YELLING THAT TO?

[00:41:03]>> To my dad.

[00:41:09]>> And as you were yelling that with your hands up and a gun pointed at you, at some point in time, you had testified, your dad said something also. What was it? He said, "Drop it. Drop it." And no.

[00:41:22]>> Was it dropped or was it still fall pointing at you?

[00:41:25]>> Still pointing at >> the barrel.

[00:41:27]>> Yes, sir.

[00:41:28]>> And what were you looking at?

[00:41:30]>> I was looking at my dad at that time.

[00:41:33]>> Were you scared?

[00:41:34]>> Yes, sir.

[00:41:35]>> And again, what did you think was going to happen had your dad not fired?

[00:41:38]>> I would have gunshot.

[00:41:47]And immediately after the shot, your dad told you to do what?

[00:41:52]>> Call 911.

[00:42:00]>> And immediately after calling 911, we hear your dad trying to perform life safety measures on you.

[00:42:06]>> Yes, sir.

[00:42:07]>> And this is something you saw directly.

[00:42:09]>> Yes, sir.

[00:42:22]You pay the courts and for one.

[00:42:24]>> Yes.

[00:43:24]Andy, thank you so much. I'd like you to answer any questions that the state of South Carolina has for you. Okay. Okay.