Ian Cranston told jurors he felt he had no other option when he shot and killed Barry Washington outside the Capitol Bar in downtown Bend in 2021.
Cranston took the stand in his own defense Wednesday, in what could be a decisive testimony into whether he had the right to shoot and kill Washington, an unarmed Black man.
Jurors will have to decide if Cranston, who faces second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter charges among others, genuinely feared for his safety before killing Washington. Prosecutors and the defense agree an argument started the night of the killing after Washington complimented Cranston’s fiance on multiple occasions, which escalated into a physical fight. The interpretations of what transpired during that fight, and what the motivations were behind the altercation, differ greatly.
Defense Attorney Kevin Sali portrayed Cranston as having attempted to de-escalate the situation on multiple occasions and said he reacted in fear of potentially devastating injuries if Washington punched him again.
Ian Cranston listens to opening statements during the first day of his murder trial at the Deschutes County Courthouse in Bend Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Cranston testified on Wednesday.
Courtesy of Dean Guernsey / Bend Bulletin
In particular, Cranston said he feared skull fractures and permanent brain damage if he received another blow to the head after Washington had punched him twice.
Under questioning Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney J. Michael Swart honed in on the fact that Cranston consumed alcohol while carrying a concealed firearm. Swart noted applicants for concealed carry permits are advised against drinking while having a gun on them.
Cranston said he was not impaired by the drinking and that he regularly carried a firearm when he went out, adding that training he received not to drink while armed were “suggestions.”
He also said it was not initially his intention to drink at the Capitol Bar, even though he eventually did.
“You weren’t planning on shooting Barry Washington that day either, were you?” Swart asked. Cranston said he did not.
Sali later told the court that it’s not illegal to drink while carrying a firearm in Oregon.
Swart also asked Cranston multiple times why he did not walk away from Washington after the fight, instead of staying behind to draw his gun. Cranston said that was not an option he considered.
“It didn’t really cross my mind,” Cranston said. “We didn’t think it would escalate to the place it did.”
Cranston’s testimony may prove to be an essential moment in the high-profile trial. Prosecutors in the case have tried to emphasize through each witness they’ve called that Cranston had ample opportunity to disengage from a violent situation, but instead escalated it by pulling a gun out before shooting Washington.
Sali has insisted his client acted in self-defense that night, and Wednesday’s testimony was the first time Cranston has spoken publicly about his perception of the confrontation.
Washington’s family has protested the killing and insisted that Cranston intentionally shot Washington because he was a Black man.
Following Cranston’s testimony, the defense has one final witness it may potentially call in the trial this week. Afterward, attorneys for both sides will present their closing statements and jury deliberations will follow.
