Barker shot 42-year-old Christopher Lee Campbell on May 26, 2019, near West Second and North Antioch streets in Dayton. Campbell drove away before crashing his Chevrolet Tahoe into the playground behind Dayton Boys Prep Academy.
Dayton officers found Campbell inside the crashed vehicle. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries the following day, police said.
Barker claimed he shot Campbell in self-defense.
He took the stand during his first trial, saying Campbell and other vehicles associated with him would follow him. He said he approached him about it but that Campbell denied it. He said the stalking escalated until he saw Campbell inside a vehicle outside his mother’s home on May 26, 2019.
Barker said he approached Campbell to talk to him when “he looks over at me and he pulls his gun out,” he said. “I pulled my gun and shot and it happened so fast and I thought I missed.”
Barker testified Campbell shot back and a shootout occurred. Barker said he shot all the bullets in his gun and he began running away. He said Campbell “traced” him and continued shooting at him.
“I was out of bullets, I was able to reload and turned around on Antioch and fired one time as he was still shooting,” Barker said.
Prosecutors during closing arguments for the first trial called Barker’s story “unbelievable.” They said Barker “ambushed” Campbell.
“He did not have reasonable grounds to believe or an honest belief that he was in danger,” said prosecutors, who added that if Barker were afraid of Campbell he would not have approached him.
Barker’s initial conviction was overturned on appeal based on juror instructions in self-defense claims.
In 2019, Ohio law changed to shift the burden of proof of self-defense from the defendant to the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused did not use force in self-defense.
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
About the Author
