“I was speechless,” Former U.S. Army soldier pardoned by President Trump speaking out
OKLAHOMA CITY – It was an unassuming Monday afternoon when Michael Behenna said he got a call from a number he didn’t recognize.
“I thought it was a solicitor or something, so I didn’t answer it. Well, it left a message and after I got off the phone with my dad, I listened to the message,” Behenna said. “The message said – ‘Lt. Behenna, this is Molly from the White House. President Trump’s office. The president would like to talk to you.'”
Behenna, a former U.S. Army lieutenant, was convicted by a military court in 2009 for killing Iraqi prisoner Ali Mansur, who was suspected of being part of al-Qaeda. Behenna was found guilty of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone for shooting Mansur, while he was questioning him on his own. At the time, Mansur had been released due to a lack of evidence tying him to an explosion that killed members of a platoon under Behennna’s command.
According to reports, Mansur was naked when he was shot. Behenna said he acted in self-defense after the prisoner tried to take his weapon. He was initially sentenced to 25 years and was released on parole in 2014.
Through an executive clemency, President Donald Trump granted full pardon to Behenna.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was speechless. I was breathing real heavy. My heart was breathing real fast,” he replied. “He says, ‘Michael? This is President Trump.’ At this time, I had tears in my eyes. My heart’s beating fast, and I’m smiling from ear to ear.”
The push to pardon Behenna, who now lives in Guthrie, Oklahoma, had been taken up by several high-ranking politicians, including former Gov. Mary Fallin and current Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter.