Video of man shot by his neighbour last year emerges (Watch)
Shooter was absolved of any wrongdoing
The video of what actually transpired when a man shot his neighbour last year in north Phoenix, United States of America, has emerged on the internet.
Michael Montanarella, 32, was shot by his neighbour, Benjamin Backus, in the night of Wednesday 24, 2021 in the area of Greenway Road and 28th Street in Phoenix. He was found by the police nearly lifeless shortly after 5:30 a.m. same day.
Phoenix fire personnel took him to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
Backus claimed at the time that the victim attacked him outside their home and he defended himself.
He called 911 shortly after the shooting and stayed there till the police arrived.
He was absolved of any wrongdoing.
The video of the incident now on the internet shows that Montanarella approached the assailant with clenched fists when he shot him.
The clip shows Montanarella asking the Backus to put the gun down and fight like a man, while Backus, with gun drawn asked him to get on the ground.
Montanarella ignores him, goes ahead to pull his top and throws it on a nearby tree as he advances towards Backus, adopting a boxer’s pose.
Backus shoots him pointblank. He falls to the ground and yells in pain. He died in the hospital.
More information gathered indicated that Montanarella had a history of drug abuse and was expelled from a therapy when he threatened a staff there.
Backus disclosed that Montanarella was actually his old neighbour.
“[Montanarella] was a neighbor from where I lived before, so that’s how I knew him. He was always outside smoking, so I would say, ‘Hi.’ So, we just sort of built up a relationship over time. He had been in and out of prison a few times and was trying to get his life sorted back together. He’d started his own business, and since I have a background in finance and banking, I was trying to help him with that.”
Unfortunately, Montanarella turned against him and accused him of many things, including breaking into his apartment. Backus later secured a restraining order against him.
On the day of the shooting, Backus said he had gone out to warm his car when he saw Montanarella outside waiting for him.
Watch the video of the fatal encounter on our Telegram channel here.
