Roberts takes stand in own trial, claims Wright called him a racial slur before shooting him

Darryl Roberts being sworn in for testimony in his own murder trial on Thursday.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Darryl Roberts took the stand in his own defense during day three of his own murder trial.

He is charged with first degree murder in the September 28, 2023 shooting death of Christopher Wright in front of Patten Towers.

Thursday was Darryl Roberts’ defense’s day to present their case here in his murder trial.

They called four witnesses including Roberts himself who claimed he was provoked into shooting Wright the night of September 28, 2023.

In his own defense, Darryl Roberts testified that Christopher Wright called him a racial slur twice before shooting and killing him.

Roberts described, “He walked up, he stuck his arm out, and he was like, uh, “What are y’all, what’s up (slur)? What are y’all doing, partying?… He walked up and the first thing out of his mouth, and it could’ve been a friendly (slur) you know, but to me there’s not a difference.”

He also claimed that Wright launched other personal insults at him.

Roberts testified, “He told me how much he didn’t like me and what he thought about me as a person. He did not like me and what thought about me as a person. That was I was a piece of (expletive) pretty much.”

That’s when Roberts testified that prior mental health and anger issues caused him to lose control and shoot Wright.

He testified that a previous incident where he was involved in a police chase against his will caused him to have a traumatic response during the confrontation with Wright, as he claims he blacked out and lost control of his actions.

A forensic psychologist, Dr. Kimberly Brown, interviewed Roberts about the incident.

She recalled that Roberts told her, ““I don’t want it to be about race… (being called the n-word twice) it dehumanized him and got to him and made him perceive a threat.”

Roberts said, “I remember thinking to myself, damn. The gunshot, pretty much, the gunshot I remember. After the gunshot I turned around and I was like, “damn.””

He said after the shooting, he fled to a former residence in Brainerd and attempted to find a way to get away from police, but was ultimately arrested in a traffic stop.

A previous witness, Natasha Yancey, was a bartender who served Wright that night shortly before the shooting, and described his behavior.

Yancey said, “You know when people get drunk and they get kinda aggressive with their behavior, whether that’s just, more vocal than they’d typically be, that’s how he spoke to me.”

He said he was being boisterous while at the bar, where he was with his friend Britton Hall-Brantley, who testified Tuesday they had been doing activities like playing golf and seeing a comedy show while drinking.

They were with a woman that Brantley nor investigators have identified.

Yancey described an incident where Wright loudly struck the bar at her establishment testifying, “It was kind of a forceful thing. I remember the man next to him reacting and looking over, and I think was in the back of the kitchen when he had striked the bar, and I remember saying something to my co-worker and I don’t remember what it was, but it certainly caught my attention.”

However, she testified he was not threatening.

Prosecutor Andrew Coyle asked, “Do you recall describing to law enforcement, that he was really go lucky and happy? Talking (expletive) to have a fun time?”

Yancey responded, “Yes.”

The defense asked detective James King of the Chattanooga Police Department if police had hidden a video that may have contained audio of the confrontation between Wright and Roberts, and answer the question if Wright said a racial slur.

They attempted to draw a connection between this and photo op between Wright and several prominent officials, as since his killing, a Tennessee bill has gone into effect called the Chris Wright Act which increases penalties for repeat offenders.

The law would have applied to Roberts, who had been arrested at least 60 times before the shooting.

The prosecution steered the conservation away from this line of questioning.

Coyle asked, ““Detective? Do you have any interest in not sharing evidence that would help explain what happened that day?”

King responded, “No,I would like to be able to explain, not only for this case, but for the sake of the victim’s mom, and family, and wife, and three kids that no longer have a dad, why this happened.”

No other witness in this trial has testified that they heard Wright use those words, including Bryan Houston who was with Roberts at the time of the confrontation.

Public Defender Steve Smith did ask King about the arrest of Roberts, saying, ““What if anything did you report when you heard (a Chattanooga Police officer) tell Mr. Roberts that, “You’re going to jail the rest of your life (expletive). The guy was from Signal Mountain. You killed the wrong dude. You’re getting (expletive).”

King denied hearing any such statement.

The defense rested their case late Thursday afternoon.

Due to the Easter weekend, this case will resume on Monday where we expect closing arguments and the jury to begin deliberations in this case.