Hot Dog Shop Shooting — Murder or Self-Defense?

A judge was expected to render his verdict about whether a fatal shooting outside a downtown Pittsburgh restaurant was murder or self-defense.

The attorney for 23-year-old Isiah Smith argued Thursday that his client shot 24-year-old Zachary Sheridan after Smith was beaten in a confrontation between two groups of people.
 
But Allegheny County prosecutors say Smith told police at least three different versions of what happened in the early morning hours of Aug. 3 outside the Original Hot Dog Shop in Pittsburgh.
 
Additionally, prosecutors say surveillance video shows Sheridan was running away after the earlier fight when he was shot.
 
Smith's attorney wants Judge Jeffrey Manning to acquit his client or find him guilty of manslaughter on Monday. Prosecutors argue the shooting amounts to third- or first-degree murder, which carries life in prison.