A Baltimore man took the stand Wednesday in City Circuit Court and told jurors he fired in self-defense in the March 16, 2025, killing of 40-year-old Kendall Brown. The jury trial is set to resume on Thursday.
Neri Salvador Manci Hernandez, 29, testified before Judge Anthony Vittoria that a long-running dispute over car damage spiraled into deadly violence, according to Baltimore Witness. He said the tension started in February 2025, when Brown allegedly hammered on his apartment door about damage to a vehicle. By March, Hernandez told jurors, the conflict had boiled over in a confrontation that ended only after he grabbed a handgun and fired a single shot.
The shooting happened on March 16, 2025, in the 4300 block of Shamrock Avenue, where Brown died. Prosecutors later charged Hernandez with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in a violent crime, and possession of a loaded handgun, according to the Baltimore Police Department. The Shamrock Avenue killing also appears in WMAR2 News' March 2025 homicide and shooting tracker.
Defendant’s Account On The Stand
Hernandez testified that Brown displayed the gun first, and that he lunged for it, got control, and then pulled the trigger once before running from the scene, according to Baltimore Witness. He said his partner, who served as his interpreter in court, threatened to call the police during the confrontation, and that the argument quickly escalated.
On the stand, Hernandez said he later tossed the gun in a trash can and never contacted law enforcement. He told jurors he feared deportation if he came forward. “I feel kind of guilty,” he said, explaining his decision not to speak with police, according to Baltimore Witness.
Legal Stakes
The charges against Hernandez carry serious potential prison time. Under Maryland law, a first-degree murder conviction can result in a life sentence, and using a handgun in the commission of a crime brings a separate mandatory minimum and additional years of incarceration, as outlined in state statute and related case law, including materials on Justia and a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling on Justia.
When the trial picks back up on Thursday, jurors will continue hearing testimony before deciding whether prosecutors have disproved Hernandez’s self-defense claim beyond a reasonable doubt. By choosing to testify, Hernandez has effectively made his version of the confrontation and his stated fear of deportation the focal point of the case.
