Trial Underway For Suspect Accused Of Stabbing Philadelphia Councilman

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The trial is underway for a man charged with stabbing a Philadelphia city councilman.

Shawn Yarbray allegedly stabbed Councilman David Oh in a botched robbery attempt last year.

Oh took the stand for 90 minutes on Tuesday, recounding the night he was stabbed outside his Southwest Philadelphia home.

The Republican city leader spent a day in the hospital last May after prosecutors say Yarbray plunged a shank-like weapon into Oh's rib cage.

Yarbray is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and robbery.

His attorney, Sam Stretton, intends to mount a mistaken-identity defense, and claims his client was elsewhere during the crime.

"I don't believe it was his intention [to kill me]," said Oh. "I believe his intention was to assert himself and I wasn't cooperating.

Oh testified that on the night of the stabbing, Yarbray repeatedly told him he wanted his wallet, car keys and cash.

His efforts to diffuse the situation failed.

"I said, 'Oh, you stabbed me, you stabbed me.' And I said to him, 'In case you didn't know, you stabbed me,'" the councilman said in court.

After he got out of the hospital, Philadelphia police drove Oh around the neighborhood, attempting to find his attacker.

He later identified Yarbray after sorting through a collection of 300 photos at Southwest Detectives.

The defense suggested Oh's recollection could have been fuzzy following the traumatic experience and what had been a long day at work.

We could see closing arguments by the close of business on Wednesday.