this is "nightline." tonight, shots in the dark. the ex-police officer on trial for killing an innocent man. her tears. her fears. >> i was scared he was going to kill me. >> her failures. >> i thought it was my apartment. >> so was it a mistake? or murder? plus, siegfried & roy, behind the magic and mystery. > and flashback footsteps. like mother, like son. the royal humanitarian mission. but first, the "nightline" five.

nmy experience with usaa has been excellent. they really appreciate the military family and it really shows. with all that usaa offers why go with anybody else? we know their rates are good, we know that they're always going to take care of us. it was an instant savings and i should have changed a long time ago. it was funny because when we would call another insurance company, y wo wee e webb fily. ♪ get your usaa auto insurance quote today.

good evening. thank you for joining us. shenc protect. now taking an oath in the stand in her trial. defending her actions in a fatal shooting. abc's marcus floor the dallas courtroom today. >> when you st mje you knew were you using deadly

force against him. >> yes. >> you shot at him twice. you intended to kill him. >> yes, sir. >> reporter: it has taken more than a year to get to this moment. former dallas police officer on trial for murder, describing in her own words how she gunned down an innocent man in his apartment. >> i have my gunpointed, and i'm saying let me see your hands, let me see your hands. >> reporter: there is no question that she killed botham je jean, gunned down in his own living room. >> she took my life away. >> reporter: geiger says it was a mistake, entering his apartment thinking it was hers. geiger taking the stand in her own defense, at times distraught. >> i was scared. and i'm so sorry. nfrontatnal. at oer times ma mr.ntdeng io his

apartment? someone on the other side of that door being you going in with the purpose of finding the threat and taking care of it? can't you imagine that being a little bit scarier than you just being alone in the moment? >> yes, sir, i can. >> she is the entire case for the defense. what was she feeling? what was going through her mind. all of those are questions that people have been wanting to know, and she answered those on the stand today. >> reporter: geiger's actions before and during and after the shooting. jurors must decide if she made a tragic mistake or if she should go to prison for murder. the trial, the culmination of a case that's captured the nation for more than a year. >> the headline out of dallas. >> pleaolice are calling their unique case. san kle h own apartment. >> reporter: fueling a national conversation about race, police transparency and one officer's deadly use of force. >> no justice, no peace!

>> reporter: last september, amber guyger who had been a police officer for 4 years was coming home. she lived in apartment 1378 on the third floor. right above her was botham jean's apartment. he was described by friends and family as a ray of sunshine. >> botham had a ray of love for everything and everyone. so i want the message of love to permeate throughout this entire process. >> reporter: jean was an accountant and an active member of the church of christ. ♪ >> reporter: that fateful night he was at home, watching tv and eating ice cream. >> so help you god? >> today was a huge day, not frequently do we see defendants take the stan to testifd to tes. >> reporter: called to the witness stand, geiger testified she accidentally parked on the fourth floor and walked in.

when she got to the door, she says she put the key in and it just opened. at that point she heard someone inside. >> i moving around upside inside my apartme. i wanted just to find that threat. >> what were you feeling? >> fear, scared as crap. >> reporter: she says she saw a silhouette move toward her. in court, geiger demonstrated how she confronted the person. >> i have my gun pointed and i'm saying, let me see your hands, let me see your hands. >> what were you focussed on? >> him, just him. >> reporter: rebecca lopez has been covering it since the beginning and was in court today. >> that's what the defense wants to prove. she did not know, she thought she wasna h in her apartment. no expert witness can do that. >> why did you fire? >> i was scared. whoever was inside of my apartment was going to kill me. and i'm sorry.

i have to live with that every single day. >> it was very >> i'm off duty officer. i thought i was in my apartment and i shot a guy thinking it was my apartment. >> reporter: geiger's 911 call introduced as critical evidence. >> okay. we have help on the way. >> i know, but i'm going to lose my job. i thought it was my apartment. >> reporter: today dallas county prosecutors goal, pointing out contra digg contradictions in geiger's behave yea behavior behavior, beginning with why she went into her apartment. >> could you have called on your radio and

if you had done any of those things mr. jean would of probably be alive today. >> that's right. >> she puts her key in, hears a sound, now she's ready. i need to take down the threat inside. that comes real close to premeditation. >> when you aimed and pulled the trigger at mr. jean, you intended to kill mr. jean. >> i did. >> her going up there and saying that she intended to kill botham jean only hurts as to how i understand how the law applies here. >> reporter: next, prosecutors question geiger's argument that she opened fire in self-defense, citing the 911 call. te athot hs coming at you. >> i did not on the phone. >> you did not express one time that he was armed. >> i did not. >> you did not say one time phe. >> how did say say say say say y

didn't say that nuntil afterwards. >> reporter: earlier in the week, prosecutors played the body camera footage. officers sprinting down a long hallway, where you can see the bright rid floor mat outside jean's apartment, something prosecutors point out is a clear sign geiger should have noticed. >> you don't have a floor mat outside your apartment do you? >> i did not. >> reporter: they start cpr, desperately trying to revive jean. >> did you perform cpr on mr. jean? >> no, i did not. >> kuhn have. >> i tried to do an a little cpr. >> w c oa n bau i kp gting upo see i w m important than

giving life-giving help to this man. >> i had no idea where i was at. >> reporter: she said she stopped to text her partner and lover twice to tell him to come to the scene. >> you put your needs and wants over his. >> i still cared about him. >> reporter: geiger's former partner saying that after the shooting the pair deleted those messages and other intimate photos they shared. >> starting on september the 8th again, even with all the tixes y you deleted you're again sending flirtatious messages with rivera again and talking about getting drunk, is that right? >> yes, sir. >> as this family is thinking about having to bury their son and brother, two days after the event, are you already going back, talking about getting drunk and doing sexual things with martin rivera.

>> yes, i did. >> reporter: the jury now left to consider her state of mind and the everyday. >> if you are in the camp that she was truly mistaken, those tears are going to put you in her camp. i think those things really depend what mind set brought you to that trial. >> i hate that i have to live with this every single day of my life. and i ask god for forgiveness and i hate myself every single day. >> reporter: words of redemption. their weight soon to be judged by 12 of her peers. for "nightline," marcus moore in dallas. >> our thanks to marcus. up next, legendary entertain ers w up next, legendary entertain ers w entertainers who dominthis

up next, legendary entertain ers w entertain symptomsminthis i ard mira can help get, out hura an uc der ntrol when other medications haven't worked well enough. and it helps people achieve control that lasts. so you can experience few or no symptoms. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. be there for you, and them. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, control is possible. our because of smoking.ital. but we still had to have a cigarette. had to. but then, we were like.

what are we doing? the nicodermcq patchurke nicodermcq. you know why, we know how. frstill, we never stoppedss wmaking it stronger.e. faster. smarter. because to be the best, is to never ever stop making it better. the 2020 c-class family. lease the c 300 sedan for just $429 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. breathe freely fast, with vicks sinex. my congestion's gone. i can breathe again! ahhhh! i can breathe again! ughh! vicks sinex. breathe on.

fixfinity internet and mobile, each for $30 a month. that equals awesome wifi from america's best internet provider and the best lte on the go. it's the ultimate coverage solution. it's all in the numbers. with xfinity mobile, you'll save up to $800 a year on your wireless bill. you can even get $250 back. don't miss out on xfinity internet and mobile, each for $30 a month. plus, save up to $800 a year on your wireless bill with xfinity mobile. xfinity makes saving... simple. easy. awesome. click, call, or visit a store today.

seeiiegfried & roy sitting n for a rare interview with deborah roberts, recalling a near fatal encounter with one of their tigers. >> reporter: they define the glitz and spectacular of the las vegas strip, seeing freed and roy, the ultimate show men, masters of magic, with their ever-present companions, the white tigers and lions. >> the single most spectacular

attraction. 30 years. capacity business. >> it was bigger than life. >> reporter: roy is the animal lover, siegfried, the illusionist. >> siegfried is a magician that comes along once in a generation. >> reporter: together they set vegas on fire. what was the secret sauce? between the two of you on stage? >> you know, i really don't know. first of all, we have been a very good team. seei significant fried and roy. and the way how it always worked is we challenged each other. >> reporter: what does he mean to you. >> all these years we are together and achieved. i said i thank you very much, and i think i said i love so, and he says if i would have to do it again, i would do everything again. the same way.

i regret nothing. >> reporter: the show changing in the face of entertainment on the strip. >> it sort of transcended everything that las vegas had seen till then. you know, and that led to cirque du soleil and blue man group and chris angel, and all of them kind of patted earn that show after what the siegfried & roy show was at the mirage. >> reporter: but it was the relationship with the tigers that was extraordinary. >> roy had this almost magical contact with them. he adored them. they seemed to adore >> he started to bring him on stage when they are three weeks old, and the animal feels comfortable and secure when roy was there. >> their names are pride and joy. say hello. >> reporter: all of these animals are show business babies. they're trained not to be afraid

of the stage. the people. >> reporter: with 45 years working with animals on stage, there'd never been a serious accident until october 3rd, 2003. it was roy's 59th birthday. the audience packed with a-listers and friends. what happened? >> i was very dizzy and blurry, and i couldn't really step my feet, so i tripped forward. >> reporter: you tripped and fell because you were dizzy? >> yeah. >> reporter: whatever the reason, roy is now in a horrifying position. he's laying on the stage floor, underneath the tiger, and the animal is not responding to him. >> the next thing we knew, the tiger was on top of roy. >> reporter: just take me back to that night as best you can.

>> the tiger was waiting to get his jump on roy's shoulder and get his treat. and roy was down, and he said no to the tiger, no, no, no. and then the tiger went on top of him. and he looked around. and he didn't know, like in his face was what, what's going on? and then he grabbed him, and he carried him, for roy, usually the tiger took, he took, the tiger took roy back stage. >> reporter: you are saying that roy collapse the even beforeappr >> reporter: t duo had always insisted it was a tragic accident, saying roy had a stroke on stage, prompting the tiger to pick roy up by his neck him off stage, they say, for his safety.

>> reporter: you really firmly believe that the tiger saved your life? >> yeah, absolutely. >> reporter: and that he saved your life because you think you were already having a stroke? >> yeah. >> reporter: family minimums and also a lot of fans have been coming out here in front of the hospital, hoping for some good news. >> i was waiting on the operation table, and had an out of body experience. >> reporter: you had an out of body experience? >> yeah, i stepped offer t the table. i seen the bright, bright lights. but i got the definite message to return. >> reporter: chris lawrence, one of the trainers on stage that night disputes that account, telling the hollywood reporter his version. he said a mistake by roy triggered the tiger. instead of walking him in a circle as is usually done he used his arm to steer him right fwhook his body. >> reporter: chris lawrence has

come forward now. >> i know. >> reporter: saying that roy essentially was to blame. was he? >> no way. >> reporter: chris says that is a story to protect the brand. why do you think he says that? >> i have no idea. he had problems with his life anyway. so something he'll have to, i don't know. i don't know what goes on, i just know his life was full of problems. >> reporter: the details of the tragedy may never be truly s three are 74 and 80, the two doesn't seem to be slowing down. often greeting fans at the secret garden, aomplex on the grounds of the mirage where visitors can see lions and tigers. do you miss it? do you miss the stage? >> no, i really don't miss it. the stage in vegas, for 40 years

on stage, you know, and we had the most successful showe history of las vegas anyway. >> siegfried & roy are working on a film and documentary series. and ningext, the prince retracing princess diana's steps. flavors. there's the amped-up, over-tuned, feeding-frenzy-of sheet-metal-kind. and then there's performance that just leaves you feeling better as a result. that's the kind lincoln's about. ♪

shhhh. i took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. what about rob's dry cough? works on that too. and lasts 12 hours. 12 hours?! who studies that long?! only mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours with 2 medicines in 1 pill. a lot of folks ask me why their dishwasher doesn't get everything clean. i tell them, it may be your detergent... that's why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum. it's specially-designed with the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. cascade platinum's unique actionpacs dissolve quickly... ...to remove stuck-on food. . . for sparkling-clean dishes, the first time. choose the detergent that lets your dishwasher do the dishes! cascade platinum. the number one recommended brand in north america.

and finally tonight, one ince harry following in his mother's footsteps, retracing his mother's footsteps 22 years ago. her royal highness calling on a ban for deadly weapons around the world and turning clearing minefields into a humanitarian issue. it's clear harry's steps highlights more steps to be taken. it was billy graham who said the greatest legacy we can pass on is a legacy of character and you can catch our full episodes ohulu. han thanks for the company america, have a good weekend.

goodnight. they took $12.8 billion from big tobacco. juul marketed mango, mint, and menthol flavors, addicting kids to nicotine. five million kids now using e-cigarettes. the fda said juul ignored the law with misleading health claims. now juul is pushing prop c, to overturn san francisco's e-cigarette protections. now juul is pushing prop c, to overturn say noo ul, no