Victor Lee Thompson prepares to take the stand to testify at his trial Wednesday in Wood County Circuit Court. He is on trial for the May 30, 2021, shooting death of Darren Jimmie Salaam, 36, of Akron, Ohio, at a 17th Avenue residence in Parkersburg. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — Victor Lee Thompson testified Wednesday that he acted in self-defense when he shot Darren Jimmie Salaam on May 30, 2021, in Parkersburg.

Thompson, 44, of Parkersburg took the stand in his own defense Wednesday during his trial on charges of murder and burglary in the death of Salaam, 36, of Akron, Ohio, at a 17th Avenue residence.

Thompson said he went to the home of Tiffany and Joshua McCune with the intention of getting a refund on some bad drugs he had gotten or at least some replacements. He said Tiffany McCune refused and he said he told her he wasn’t going to be treated that way. He was feeling sick and needed the drugs “to get right,” he said.

She was yelling for her husband Josh, who was asleep and had previously testified that when on drugs he was a very deep sleeper.

Thompson said there was a gun (identified as a .45 throughout the trial) on the bed and Tiffany reached for it. They struggled briefly, he got it first and hit her with it to end the struggle as he believed she would have used it on him.

Thompson said he did not bring the gun with him.

He then heard a “big booming voice” asking Tiffany if she was okay. Thompson testified that he opened a curtain that divided the bedroom from another part of the house and saw Salaam holding what he believed was a gun pointed at him. Thompson said he let the curtain drop, fired a single shot and immediately left the house.

“I didn’t know who was on the other side of the curtain,” he said.

Thompson said he only found out later Salaam had died. He did not know Salaam prior to that day and had not seen him before, he said.

On cross examination by the prosecution, Thompson said he was still feeling the effects of the drugs he was on when the incident occurred. He fled and was eventually found in a trailer in Ritchie County where Thompson said he and his girlfriend continually got high for six days after the shooting to prevent “dope sickness,” or withdrawal.

Thompson testified he was also afraid people from Akron were looking for him. Testimony throughout the trial indicated Salaam was the drug supplier for the McCunes and others.

Parkersburg Police Detective Lt. B.J. Depue, who was in charge of the investigation, said investigators never found a gun at the house or on the property to indicate Salaam was armed. They also never recovered the gun Thompson used.

Witnesses have testified Thompson was seen in a truck leaving the scene of the shooting. During his testimony Thompson said he either left the gun in the truck or he threw it out a window while they were driving away.

The truck was found a couple days later, having been spray painted white, Depue said, adding there was no sign of the gun in it.

”There was no evidence in the truck,” he said.

Former Ritchie County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Day, who now works as an attorney, said he transported Thompson to Parkersburg after he was found in Ritchie County. During the ride Thompson said all white people have to stick together and referred to Salaam by a racially derogatory term.

Thompson said he regretted saying that during his testimony. He also said he got a number of white supremacy tattoos while in prison as a way to protect himself. He had been in prison for uttering, having a meth lab, assault and other charges.

Throughout the trial it has been stated Tiffany McCune passed away in Oct. 2021 due to an overdose.

Joshua McCune explained how he and Tiffany knew Thompson, regarding him as a very trusted friend, so much so, Thompson was the only other person who knew the keycode to have entry into their house.

“It is hard to trust anybody who is known to lead an addictive lifestyle, to not steal from somebody, or deceive somebody in an attempt to manipulate a situation for their own self gain, but Tiff and myself, we trusted Victor enough, that he was permitted to come and go (to our residence) as he pleased,” McCune said.

McCune said he had been awake for a while May 29-30, 2021, suggesting that his mental state was subject to reasonable doubt, as a result of the lack of sleep. When Tiffany got him awake, he described the situation as “frantic and chaotic.”

McCune said he had to be shaken by Tiffany to tell him Salaam had been shot. He got up, looked out the window and saw Salaam on the ground and an acquaintance of the McCunes, Colton Davis, was supporting the then-injured Salaam and trying to stop his bleeding. Davis and his girlfriend, Kelsee Province, also testified Wednesday.

McCune said he heard sirens getting closer to their residence, so in an attempt to rid the premises of incriminating evidence he began to throw various drug paraphernalia items out the bedroom window, including cooking spoons, burnt foil, syringes and more. These were later collected as evidence.

McCune stated that he was unaware of any firearms that would have been in the home at the time, but also claimed he never knew Thompson to carry a firearm or enter their home with one.

Testimony will continue today at 9 a.m.

Brett Dunlap and Maria Rutherford can be reached at at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com and mrutherford@newsandsentinel.com