ATLANTA, Ga. — "My life was the one in danger. I'm not going to let some guy kill me or somebody else," a security guard said about the night he shot and killed a 17-year-old on New Year's Eve.
The security guard, whose identity has been withheld for his safety, insists he did nothing wrong when he fired his gun in the middle of a gunbattle that claimed the life of Kenard Arnold.
The security guard, who was stationed at the Shamrock Gardens Apartments, told Channel 2's Michael Buczyner he was driving along Myrtle Drive in southwest Atlanta when he witnessed the teen and another man shooting at each other.
"I'm thinking this is something from 'The Matrix' or something from an action movie," the guard recalled.
Moments later, he said an armed Arnold walked around his car. The guard then identified himself as security and told the teen to drop the gun.
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"I'm terrified. I'm thinking he's going to carjack me. I'm thinking my life is in danger," the guard said. "He was shooting in my direction at me, so I felt like my life was in danger, so I returned fire; he collapsed."
The guard told Buczyner he fired his weapon at least three times through his passenger-side window. Arnold was hit once in the back.
Although an Atlanta police investigation determined that the guard's actions were justified, Attorney Christopher Chestnut, who represents Arnold's family, said the story doesn't add up.
"We believe that an armed vigilante security guard shot down in the back in cold blood Canard Arnold without cause. Now we're just asking the police department to reconsider charging him because he murdered someone."