Sgt Calvin Gibbs Trial - Self Justifications

Gibbs' testimony Friday was at odds with that of the other witnesses, who said he began talking about killing civilians soon after he joined the unit in late 2009. In the second killing, Pvt. Jeremy Morlock — who has pleaded guilty and is serving 24 years for the murders — said Gibbs killed an unarmed man after firing an illicit AK-47 into the wall of a compound and tossing the weapon at the man's feet to make him appear to have been an enemy.

But Gibbs maintained the engagement was legitimate: The man started firing with the AK-47, but the gun jammed, and Spc. Michael Wagnon, who is also charged in that killing, returned fire.
"I was engaged by an enemy combatant," Gibbs said. "Luckily his weapon appeared to malfunction and I didn't die." The last three words are among the unfortunate details of the lying statement.