"In his closing argument, the prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Schmidt, emphasized that Epps faced no imminent threat or danger from Polk, characterizing Polk as a frequent and wanted visitor at the home. Schmidt suggested that Epps should have deescalated the situation with Polk, who was a methamphetamine user and was in and out of jail - he had been released after a parole violation just days before the shooting."
""Right before he was shot, Mr. Polk was in his happy place," Schmidt said. "He was indoors ... he was about to watch television." He added that Epps had "no basis" to believe he needed to use deadly force. "In a word, it just wasn't necessary to shoot and kill Mr. Polk," Schmidt said. He likened the shooting to "amputating an arm over a paper cut.""
Jurors entered deliberations after dueling closing arguments over whether Kevin Epps was justified in killing Marcus Polk on October 24, 2016. Polk was a friend of Epps' fiancée, Maryam Jhan, and the former husband of Jhan's sister, Starr Gul. Epps maintains the shooting was in self-defense. Attorneys disputed facts including whether Epps lived at the Glen Park home, whether Polk was a welcome visitor or an intruder, and the nature of their rift. Emotions ran high as Gul sobbed and Epps' supporters loudly protested. The prosecutor argued Polk posed no imminent threat and that deadly force was unnecessary.
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