Anderson man testifies shooting was in self-defense
Jan. 12—ANDERSON — Zachary Hileman testified he was struck twice in the head by Ray Waymire before shooting him in a 2021 road rage incident.
Hileman, 19, testified Thursday in his murder trial in Madison Circuit Court Division 1 in the shooting death of Waymire, 56, Anderson, on the morning of Oct. 2, 2021.
The Circuit Court jury will begin deliberations Friday.
The defense contends Hileman shot Waymire in self-defense.
Hileman testified he was smoking marijuana with Shane and Adrian Clark at his girlfriend's house and then the three of them went driving around.
Waymire's girlfriend told police, in the probable cause affidavit, that she and Waymire were riding his motorcycle on Crystal Street near Webster Street when a dark-colored, four-door car, identified as a gray Honda Civic, failed to yield the right-of-way and almost struck them.
She said Waymire had to swerve to avoid the car.
The car, driven by Shane Clark, was stopped at the intersection of Webster and Broadway when Waymire arrived.
Hileman testified Waymire walked up to the car and started yelling.
He said Waymiire punched him twice in the face, which knocked him down in the back seat of the car.
"When he knocked me down, I reached for my gun," Hileman said. "I lifted the gun up and there was a shot."
Hileman said he didn't know if the bullet struck Waymire and didn't learn until later in the day that he died.
"I was scared," he said.
Hileman said he was not aware that Waymire backed away from the car, according to testimony by Adrian Clark.
Dr. Latanja Watkins, who performed the autopsy on Waymire, testified there was no residue from the gun on the wound to his chest.
She said normally the residue is present if a weapon is fired within three feet of a person.
When asked by defense attorney Mark McKinney, Hileman said the Clark brothers said nothing and took no actions after he was punched.
"I didn't know him," he said of Ray Waymire. "There was no way to get away; Shane (Clark) didn't drive away."
The state earlier in the day contended that there was evidence that Hileman was involved in drug dealing.
Through Indiana State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Wright, evidence was presented showing Hileman in possession of the handgun used to shoot Waymire several months before the October incident and in possession of large amounts of cash.
Anderson Police Department Detective Chris Frazier testified that terminology used in several texts posted by or to Hileman had references to drug dealing and possession of a handgun.
Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
