Maurice Anthony Byrd, Jr., owner of Razor Reese’s Salon and Spa in the Hatboro section of Upper Moreland Township recently went through a preliminary trial, The Times Herald reported.

Byrd, 41, was arrested on June 8 for the first-degree murder of 37-year-old Stephen Strassburg of Hatboro after the two engaged in a physical altercation which involved an alleged racial slur and ended with the fatal shooting of Strassburg, who was unarmed.

“I can’t talk about the facts of the case but I’m looking forward to truth, fairness and facts. There’s a lot of misinformation and narratives that need to be corrected,” Maurice Anthony Byrd Jr. said on Thursday as quoted by the Herald.

Byrd’s trial date has been set for January 6, 2025. The trial is expected to last several days in part due to the ambiguous nature of the incident. Byrd’s lawyer argued during the hearing that the act was one of self-defense after Strassburg charged at him. Assistant District Attorney Samantha Cauffman argued that Byrd intended to kill Strassburg.

Witnesses said they saw Strassburg, who is white, grab Byrd, 41, who is black, 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 law’s language:

A person in any lawful place outside his home has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his ground and use force, including deadly force if . . . (he) believes it is immediately necessary to do so to protect himself against death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or sexual intercourse by force or threat. [18 Pa.C.S. Section 505(b)(2.3)].

The full story is here.

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.

Photo: Hatboro police