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”I turn this way and standing in front of me, two feet away is Osama bin Laden. It was one of those moments in life where things slow down,” he said.
”He’s taller than I thought, he’s skinnier than I thought, his beard was grey/white, but I recognized his nose, this is definitely him. He’s not surrendering, he’s a threat, not only to me but to my entire team, he has to die,” he added.
The former SEAL has also spoken publicly about what happened in the moments immediately after bin Laden was killed, including an act of compassion he says he showed toward the terrorist leader’s young son.
Recalling the scene, he said:
“I can hear bin Laden taking his last breath. When I shot him he fell to the foot of the bed.
“I shot him in the face three times. I moved Amal [bin Laden’s wife] and… his two-year-old son is now standing there, and this is the humanity of everything. This kid has got nothing to do with this. I’m a father. I picked him up and I move them to the back of the bed.”
What happened after the raid?
According to official U.S. accounts, bin Laden’s body was transported to Afghanistan following the raid so authorities could confirm his identity.
Afterward, the remains were flown to the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.
U.S. officials have long maintained that Islamic funeral rites were performed before bin Laden was buried at sea in the Arabian Sea.
Authorities said the burial took place within 24 hours of his death, following Islamic customs that traditionally call for a swift burial after death.