Cop Who Shot Unarmed Black Man Said He Feared Being Run Over, Talks About Confederate Flag Shirt

Ray Tensing testified on his own behalf.

Ray Tensing spoke while on trial for the fatal shooting that happened in July 2015. Then a police officer hired by the university, he pulled driver Sam DuBose over near the campus. Tensing claims that he shot DuBose fearing for his own life.

Tensing, 26, lost his job after the shooting death and was charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty.

Tensing appeared calm on the witness stand and answered the questions that were asked of him with an air of deference.

He said that a relative had bought the confederate flag T-shirt for him and that he wore it under his uniform because had to to wear a black T-shirt.

"It has no meaning to me," Tensing said about the shirt. "It was in the laundry basket, I threw it on, and never thought about it."

Tensing later became emotional when describing the events that led up to the shooting of DuBose and started to cry on the stand.

He said that his "adrenaline was running so fast" as the encounter took place.

Asked whether it was "his purpose to kill" DuBose, Tensing stifled a cry.

"No, sir," he said.

Tensing said his arm was stuck in the car and the car was turning toward him during the encounter.

"I remember thinking, 'Oh my God, he's going to run me over and he's going to kill me,'" Tensing said while on the stand, the Associated Press reported.

An expert defense witness testified on Tuesday that a frame-by-frame analysis of the body cam video shows Tensing was justified in fearing for his life because his body was "violently twisted" during the confrontation, according to the AP.