Video proves alleged high school killer acted in self defense: lawyers

Lawyers for the Bronx teen accused of fatally stabbing a classmate during history class say footage taken by a peer proves their client was acting in self defense.

The grainy 9-second clip shows a group converging on Abel Cedeno, 18, inside the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation last September.

Cedeno, clad in a pink shirt in the blurry footage, appears to be fending off punches by at least two figures as he backs into a corner.

The attack ended with Matthew McCree, 15, fatally stabbed. Ariane LaBoy, 16, was also knifed, but survived.

Cedeno, who says he was mercilessly bullied for years over his sexuality, has pleaded “not guilty” to manslaughter and assault charges.

Lawyers Robert Feldman and Christopher Lynn questioned why it had taken so long for the Bronx DA’s office to turn over the “exculpatory” tape, which prosecutors have had for months.

“We are confident that the Bronx County DA Darcel Clark will dismiss the case if she bothers to study the tape,” Feldman said. “Upon information and belief she is, at the least, gay friendly.”

Yet Laboy’s lawyer, Matthew Blit, says the video tells another story.

“The killer’s lawyer is misrepresenting the video. This video clip shows the hero, an unarmed Ariane LaBoy bravely trying to stop the coldblooded killer from plunging a knife into his unarmed defenseless friend and the rest of his classmates,” Blit told The Post. “If Ariane did not step in, there would have been other victims.”

Cedeno, who is now home schooled, remains out on $500,000 bond.