“I loaded my weapon and discharged it at the people who were about to shoot at me,” he said at one point in court, describing the deadly confrontation that came on his 34th birthday.

He could not say that he aimed at a specific individual. At one point, he scoffed when asked for a description of what his adversaries were wearing, saying that he was in the process of saving his life, not trying to determine what fashions were in vogue.

“It’s a war zone out here,” he said of his South Side neighborhood, talking to police. “I’m just so sick of this city. It’s one of the most dangerous places I’ve ever lived.”

Clark was indicted by a Richmond grand jury in April for voluntary manslaughter, which carries up to 10 years in prison. He was released on bond but moved out of the area fearing retaliation from street gangs, he and his fiance said in court and in brief discussions outside of the courtroom Wednesday and Thursday.