Maurice Byrd, 42, owner of Razor Reese’s Salon and Spa in the Hatboro section of Upper Moreland Township, has begun trial for the first-degree murder of 38-year-old Stephen Strassburg of Hatboro, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Byrd was arrested on June 8, 2024 following the incident in his business’ parking lot.

The prosecution claimed that Byrd “hated Strassburg and after years of arguing, goaded him into a confrontation that he escalated into a fatality after Strassburg called him a racial slur.”

Byrd’s attorney said “the real hate came from Strassburg, who called Byrd a ‘dirty n—’ before charging at him with his fists swinging”, adding that Byrd, a disabled Army veteran, stood his ground against an “angry, racist, drunk maniac”.

Strassburg, who was unarmed and rented an apartment next to Byrd’s business, was shot in the neck and back after punching Byrd multiple times, prosecutors said.

Witnesses previously said they saw Strassburg grab Byrd by the front of his shirt. According to those witnesses and a recording of the 9-1-1 call, Strassburg pursued him and asked, “What you gonna do, shoot me (N-word)?”

Strassburg then threw three punches before Byrd pulled his handgun from a holster and fired seven shots, striking Strassburg twice. 

“I just had to shoot him, I had to shoot him. He was after me. … There are witnesses,” Byrd said, according to the recording. “He’s down, please. He’s down.”

According to City & State PA, there’s no consensus as to whether Byrd’s actions were justifiable or criminal. “Under Pennsylvania’s Stand Your Ground law, a person acting lawfully in a public place who is attacked by someone without a weapon must first attempt to retreat before using deadly force,” the article states.

The trial is expected to continue though next week.

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Photo: Hatboro police