Shot Father Abused Son, Defense Claims

A picture of abuse is being painted in the central New York courtroom where 29-year-old Matthew Taranto is currently on trial for , retired Glen Cove Police Department officer Salvatore Taranto, according to media reports.

Matthew's defense has called a number of witnesses who have testified that the elder Taranto was abusive and prone to fits of rage, reports YNN.com.

Matthew's mother, Camille, testified that she suffered years of abuse and violence, according to the report. She said she stayed with her husband because he threatened to kill her parents and take Matthew, who is diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.

Defense lawyer Scott Miller maintains that his client shot his father out of fear, having had a gun pulled on him earlier that night - an act which Camille testified had happened another time during a family vacation two months earlier.

The testimony stands in stark contrast to in December 2010 - a good-humored cop who loved animals and was attentive to his son's needs.

The shooting occurred on November 30, 2010 in the basement of the family's home in Trumansburg, N.Y., where they moved after Taranto retired in 2003. He was 58.

Matthew Taranto, then 28, was charged with second-degree murder for shooting his father seven times in the chest.

Taranto waived his right to a jury, so a judge will decide the case.