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The elderly American lawyer accused of gunning down two climate protesters in Panama was previously arrested for illegally possessing an AK-47 and M16 — as chilling new details emerged about this week’s deadly caught-on-camera confrontation.
Kenneth Darlington, 77, was seen Tuesday casually approaching a group of demonstrators blocking the Pan-American Highway in the Chame sector, in protest of a proposed mining contract for a Canadian company.
He was filmed waving his gun around and began shaking his finger while arguing with the demonstrators — before ultimately firing, according to footage and police.
According to court testimony Wednesday, the confrontation started when Darlington saw protesters yet again blocking highways — with him allegedly turning to one of the people he was traveling with to say, “This ends today.”
After getting out of his vehicle, he asked to speak to the leader of the demonstration, saying, “I don’t want to talk to women. I want to talk to men,” according to a court report by local outlet TVN.
A few men at the scene then approached him and tried to calm him down, when the argument began, captured on cameras.
One of the demonstrators could be heard in the footage saying, “Why don’t you shoot?” while others shouted, “Are you going to kill someone?”
“Do you want to be the first?” Darlington was heard replying — before suddenly opening fire, according to the footage and court testimony.
The first victim — seen in the footage carrying a flag and wearing a black T-shirt and blue hat — immediately fell to the ground.
As another man in red backed away, Darlington could be seen opening fire again — hitting another man in a black T-shirt, who fell over after first holding his shoulder and grimacing in pain.
Other footage showed people standing around bodies in the road.
Abdiel Díaz died at the scene, while Iván Rodgriguez was pronounced dead later at a local hospital.
When Darlington got back into his car, another passenger reportedly asked him, “Are you aware of what has happened?”
“Yes, I killed one and shot another,” he replied, the Panamanian court was told.
“Let’s go,” he reportedly instructed a woman he was with, thought to be his girlfriend.
But she replied, “We’re not leaving” — and instead called National Police agents, who stopped the car and seized Darlington’s gun, TVN reported.
The American attorney was later seen being cuffed and led to a squad car.
Darlington was previously apprehended in 2005 after local authorities found weapons, including the AK-47 and an M16, in his Panama City apartment, according to the Daily Mail
He claimed in court that the weapons were simply part of a collection, and he was acquitted of illegal possession of a firearm, the report said.
The attorney with dual American-Panamanian citizenship is facing charges of murder and illegal possession of a gun, local outlet TVN reports.
But he may again avoid jail time and be sentenced to house arrest due to his age, local reports suggest.
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