At least that’s how Deedy’s attorney described it during opening statements today.

Hart discounted the prosecution’s earlier assessment that Deedy was drunk when he shot and killed Kollin Elderts in a Waikiki McDonald’s.

Instead, Hart said Deedy was acting as a law enforcement officer when he attempted to prevent Elderts and one of his friends from bullying a bystander and then fighting the Deedy and his friend.

“Agent Deedy acted responsibly in self defense as a federal agent when he did what he did on Nov. 5, 2011,” Hart said.

Deedy, who lives in Virginia, was in Honolulu as part of a security detail for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

On Nov. 4, 2011 he had met up with his college roommate and his girlfriend, heading to First Friday in Chinatown and then Waikiki.

Deedy encountered Elderts in the early morning hours of Nov. 5 in a McDonald’s on Kuhio Ave.

Deedy shot his handgun three times during a scuffle with Elderts hitting him once in the chest. Elderts died of blood loss.

—Nick Grube