Man Found Not Guilty Of Shooting After "Standing His Ground" Speaks

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

CLAREMORE, OK -- A Green Country man hopes the New Year is better for him than the last two.

Mark Abshire was charged with shooting with intent to kill in 2007, and his life turned upside down until his trial a few weeks ago.

The jury found Abshire not guilty, that he was acting in self defense. Now, he's finally able to tell the story, in his own words.

Mark Abshire has relived the night of September 2, 2007, over and over.

It changed his life in ways he could never have imagined: he was forced to sell his home, lost a six-figure job, pension, 401K and faced life in prison.

"My intention was 'everybody stay back, let the police handle it,' but I don't think in their state of mind, they cared," Abshire said.

It started after vehicles had sped through the neighborhood for the second time and a neighbor's wife, hollered at them to slow down.

Two cars came back to Abshire's house, cussed his wife and attacked his neighbor.

He says he sprayed pepper spray, pulled his gun and told them to leave.

A third car pulled up, so now he was facing six angry, drunk men while his wife was on the phone to the sheriff.

"When we told them they need to leave, they were still screaming we messed with the wrong people and didn't know what we'd done," Abshire said. "One guy started reading the house numbers off my house and said 'we don't care if the police are coming, we'll burn your f-ing house down and kill everybody in it.'"

Mark says he turned to look at his wife, when Robbie Case tackled him, knocking him to the concrete, cracking his teeth.

"Starting pulling me by the throat into the ditch, choking me while he friend was kicking me, I finally managed to get his hand off my throat, drew my gun and shot him," Abshire said.

He fired again; Case was hit in the chest and the back and paralyzed.

Abshire was arrested and sat in jail 18 days before being charged with shooting with intent to kill.

Two and a half years later, the trial began. After six days of testimony and two hours of deliberations, the jury found Mark not guilty.

"It was an overwhelming feeling of relief and happiness for my family - unable to put words to it, the emotions - very thankful to the jury," Abshire said.

Mark is very grateful for the friends, family and church that stood beside him and his attorney Jack Gordon, Junior.

Abshire plans to sue for civil rights violations. He says people are still making threats against his family.

Oklahoma House Bill 2615 - Stand Your Ground Law

3/30/2008  Related Story: Road Rage Shooting Suspect Ordered To Trial

12/21/2009 Related Story: Rogers County Man Acquitted Of Shooting With Intent To Kill