[fabsroman]

Killing anybody just doesn't seem right, doesn't matter whether it is a LEO or not.

There are already conflicting facts on this thread. Was the second officer shot in the back, or was he shot while attempting to draw his gun? Shooting him in the back would have made it really hard for Claude to win on a self defense motive. Personally, I would think the shots to the back of the head, or the head in general would have made this murder in the first degree. At least that is the law in Maryland.

Once the threat has been neutralized, deciding to kill somebody is no longer self defense, but murder. By switching guns, Claude had the time to think, which would have put this in the first degree muder category because the LEO's deaths were premeditated when he pulled the trigger on the .22 and shot them in the head.

You also have to realize that his friend, the only eye witness to this whole thing that was still breathing, other than Claude that is, would have probably received a deal from the State's Attorney's office because he was an accessory to murder after the fact. I am sure that he didn't want to go to jail either so he would have probably been telling the State's Attorney whatever he wanted to know.

These cases are tough and they suck, but I think I would have locked the guy up for life or fried him because of the .22 shots.