New York, NY —

New York City Police officer Raphael Lora pleaded not guilty to first degree manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed man. He's free on 50-thousand dollar bond.

REPORTER: Police say Lora, who was off duty at the time, tried to prevent Fermin Arzu from leaving the scene, after an intoxicated Arzu crashed his car into several parked ones in Lora's Bronx neighborhood. Defense attorney Stuart London, says Lora fired five shots in self-defense when Arzu tried to drive away.

LONDON: Without getting into the specifics of the shooting, he found himself in a situation where if he did not discharge his weapon his own state of mind was that he believed he was going to be run over by that car and killed.

REPORTER: But District Attorney Robert Johnson says the grand jury didn't buy that story. He says Lora's testimony did not square with physical evidence, and eyewitness testimony. Lora faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.