Pharmacist Defends Actions on National TV

The Oklahoma City pharmacist charged with murder in the shooting death of a teenage would-be robber defended himself on national television Monday night.

Monday, June 1st 2009, 12:37 pm

By: News 9


Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma City pharmacist charged with murder in the shooting death of a teenage would-be robber defended himself on national television Monday night.

Jerome Ersland appeared on the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News with his attorney Irven Box.

Ersland was charged with murder last week after he shot back at two would-be robbers on May 19 at a south Oklahoma City pharmacy. Prosecutors say Ersland exceeded his legal authority to defend himself by shooting 16-year-old Antwun Parker five times after a first shot rendered the teen unconscious.

In his TV appearance last night, Ersland said the teen was still a threat when he fired the five fatal rounds.

"I came back in store because I was working with two ladies and I thought the person laying on the floor had shot the younger lady Megan because the mother was yelling Megan, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Ersland said during the interview. "I went up to him, and he seemed to be just dazed, and he started talking to me, and he started turning to the right. I'm crippled. ... I thought I was going to get killed in the next few seconds."

Earlier on Monday, Ersland and his attorney appeared in an Oklahoma County courtroom. Ersland told Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure at a hearing Monday he's given every weapon he owns to defense attorney Irven Box.

Bass-LeSure last week allowed Ersland to be released on $100,000 bail but banned him from any access to weapons. The hearing was to determine if he complied with her order.

Box declined to say how many guns he was given but does say he took the weapons and other personal property as payment of part of his attorney fees.

"I don't think it's right of anyone, whether it be the jurors or the judge or the DA, to know what kind of property he owns," Box said. "I think that's not a part of this case. The part of this case is what happened in that pharmacy on that particular day, and that's his interest and anything outside is extraneous."

Bass-LeSure said that next time she will order the defendant to turn his weapons over to law enforcement rather than to his attorney.

"You never stop learning," Judge Bass-LeSure said.

Police have also charged Emanuel Mitchell, Anthony Morrison and a 14-year-old with murder in connection to the crime.

The 57-year-old Ersland is charged with first-degree murder of 16-year-old Antwun Parker when Parker and another teenager tried to rob the pharmacy at gunpoint.

Police are still searching for Morrison. If you've seen him, call police.

More on News9.com:

- More Charges Filed in Pharmacy Shooting
- Judge's Life Threatened Over Pharmacy Case
- Second Pharmacy Robbery Suspect Arrested
- Pharmacist Released from Jail on Bail
- Pharmacist Charged With Murder After Shooting Robber
- Employee Shoots at Robbers: 1 Killed, 1 at Large
- Read the text of Oklahoma's Stand Your Ground Law

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