Oscar Pistorius Removes Prosthetic Legs in Courtroom, Recalls Final Moments Before Reeva Steenkamp's Death

Athlete testifies he feared an intruder "could come at me at any time" when he was in vulnerable state and "didn't have my legs on"

By Rebecca Macatee Apr 08, 2014 12:42 PMTags
Oscar PistoriusTHEMBA HADEBE/AFP/Getty Images

Oscar Pistorius removed his prosthetic legs in court Tuesday as he recalled those final moments before he fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Per NBC News, the 27-year-old athlete ditched his customary suit and tie for a T-shirt and shorts—the type of clothing he was wearing the night of the shooting—and addressed the courtroom from his stumps.

He described having heard a noise that made him fearful an intruder had climbed into the bathroom window of his home. "That was the moment everything changed," he said. "I thought that there was a burglar that was gaining entry to my home."

The South African sprinter, dubbed "Blade Runner" by the media, testified he grabbed a gun from beneath his bed and told Reeva "to get on the floor" and call the police.

"Initially I just froze," he admitted, per NBC News. "The first thing that ran through my mind was that I needed to arm myself."

Because Pistorius "didn't have my legs on," he feared an intruder "could come at me at any time," he said.

He later filed four rounds through the door, three of which hit his model girlfriend and killed her almost instantly. Pistorius maintains this was a case of mistaken identity while prosecutors alleged premeditated murder.

On Monday, Pistorius tearfully apologized to Steenkamp's family, telling her parents he was "simply trying to protect Reeva."

The trial is still ongoing.