Criminal defense lawyer Chuck Peruto said on Monday that in a fatal shooting outside Pat’s Steak King last Thursday, the Redding man would argue that he was acting in self-defense.

Paul Burkert, 36, surrendered to the authorities shortly after the shooting outside the iconic cheese steakhouse in southern Philadelphia. Before 1:00 in the morning, Burcket had an argument with David Padro, a 22-year-old Camden resident, who was also waiting in line. In the ensuing battle, Burckett allegedly shot Padro On the torso and shoulders.

After the shooting, Burkert and an unnamed woman fled the scene in a van and arranged a meeting place to surrender to the authorities.

Peruto confirmed that he represents Burquette and plans to help him fight the charges.

“There must be a self-defense side to this case,” Peruto said. “My client was attacked. He was severely beaten. There was blood on his shirt, belt buckles, pants and shoes-all of which was confiscated by the police. This is my client’s blood.”

Initial reports after the shooting cited witnesses as saying that Burquette and Padro had a dispute over football. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office stated that witnesses reported that the dispute was about a parking space and no one else was involved in the fighting.

The District Attorney’s Office did not immediately provide a copy of the criminal proceedings requested by PhillyVoice on Monday.

Peruto, The Republican candidate for the District Attorney in Philadelphia, Claiming that Burckett was involved in a conflict between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, not the New York Giants, and that the argument was not about parking spaces.

“My client was not part of the initial argument-and it used to be Regarding football,” Peruto said. “It’s kind of silly. At first, (Burkert) didn’t really think this was a serious problem, but (Padro) was very, very emotional about it. “

Padro’s family said that he and his girlfriend were in Philadelphia on the night of the shooting, and they stopped to buy food after visiting the nightclub.Padro’s father told Inquirer He saw a surveillance video of a fight outside Pat’s house. He described his son as a “very humble child” and said that such quarrels should not escalate to gun violence.

Source/Philadelphia Police

Paul C. Burkert, 36 years old, from Reading, Pennsylvania.

Peruto claims that Burkett did not even notice the initial quarrel at the Cheese Steak shop, but was later involved.

“My client thinks (Padro) just wants to fight someone,” Peruto said.

Authorities said last week that Burckett was charged with homicide, conspiracy, tampering with evidence, reckless endangering others, and related weapons crimes. Court records show that Burkert is not legally allowed to own a gun. He previously pleaded guilty to felony drug charges in Berks County in 2019.

When asked about the conspiracy charges, Peruto said that the woman who drove Burckett to the scene also surrendered to the police.

“The police know who it is,” Peruto said. “They left there for their own safety because – let’s face it, a man was shot and he had friends with him. They left the scene, called the police, and told them where they could see them. I think they handled it very well.”

Peruto said that the woman in the van surrendered to the police after returning home and was told that there was no warrant for arrest. Peruto said that when she read the news report about the conspiracy allegations, she returned to the police and was told to go home again.

On Sunday night, Padro’s family and friends gathered outside Pat’s King of Steak to watch the night, and the funeral was scheduled for Thursday in Pensokken.A sort of GoFundMe page A charity founded by Padro’s brother raised more than $10,000 to pay for his funeral.

“When someone is shot, the situation is always sad,” Peruto said. “It’s unbelievable that the debate about football can become so hostile.”