Playing the Race Card? Or the Trump Card?

The killing of Joe McKnight by Ronald Gasser after a road rage incident was greatly complicated by a witness telling lies to the police.  12/6/16 New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The sheriff also said one witness at the scene the day of the shooting lied in stating that Gasser had exited his car, stood over McKnight, and shot again as McKnight was apologizing, Normand said. That witness' false statement, Normand continued, helped feed a social media frenzy in which thousands of commenters accused the sheriff's office of mishandling the case.

"We started Thursday afternoon with a witness who lied," Normand said. "A witness who said that Gasser got out of his car, popped caps through the wind shield of Joe McKnight's car, yanked him out of the car and popped him again while he was on the ground, (Gasser) saying that he had voted for Donald Trump and that he was going to show him. And we were off and running."

Normand said that witness "told three different stories within the same hour.""Shame on that individual," he said. "And that started something going down a path that we collectively should be ashamed of ourselves."

I don't know if Gasser shooting McKnight conformed to the law.  If Gasser pointed the gun at McKnight, and he didn't retreat, it suggests McKnight was irrational, so Gasser might have had good reason for his fear of great bodily harm.