79 Year Old Grandfather Shoots and Kills Man Who Was Beating His Granddaughter

Dec. 26, 2012

UPDATE: Coroner identifies man shot at South Denby Avenue home

Police: No charges filed at this time

Photo by Denny Simmons, DENNY SIMMONS // Buy this photo

DENNY SIMMONS / Courier & Press Evansville police investigate a shooting in the 500 block of South Denby Avenue that left one man dead at about 7 p.m. Sunday.

EVANSVILLE — A 79-year-old Evansville man shot and killed a 19-year-old who was attacking his granddaughter, Evansville Police said in a news release.

Davon Obryant Gee was pronounced dead at a home in the 500 block of South Denby Avenue on Sunday night, according to the Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office.

The name of man who shot and killed Gee has not been released by police because the man has not been charged with a crime, according to city police officials.

Police said Gee got into an argument with a 17-year-old girl at the Denby Avenue home on Sunday evening. Gee threatened to assault the girl and to use a "stun gun" on her.

She ran from the house but Gee chased her down, catching her in the yard and beating her. The girl's 79-year-old grandfather, who was in the house, came outside to help her. He told Gee to quit beating the girl.

According to witnesses, Gee then threatened to use the stun gun on the grandfather. Reaching into his pocket, he approached the 79-year-old who told him several times to stop.

The grandfather told police he feared he could not defend himself against the bigger, younger attacker and that he feared the stun gun would kill him due to a heart condition. When the man kept approaching, witnesses said, the grandfather pulled out a handgun and fired one shot. Gee ran into a neighboring yard and collapsed.

When police arrived, they attempted life-saving measures but the man died at the scene.

The gun was recovered inside the grandfather's house. The stun gun was recovered from Gee's pocket.

Investigators will complete a case file and forward it to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office for review.

Gee died from cardiac arrhythmia and exsanguination due to a gunshot to the chest, according to a report from the Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office. An autopsy was performed Monday morning.

EARLIER:

Evansville Police Department officers were working Sunday night to figure out what led to a fatal shooting near Downtown Evansville.

Police were dispatched to a house at 505 S. Denby Ave. about 7:10 p.m. Sgt. Jason Cullum said they found a young man dead in the front yard of a nearby house.

He said several people who were believed to have been involved in the events surrounding the shooting were taken to police headquarters for questioning.

Cullum said a weapon had not yet been recovered.

"We have the house locked down and we have applied for a search warrant," he said.

Two hours after the shooting officers were still trying to verify the name of the slain man, whose body remained in the yard covered by a sheet. Police had the street and yards around the area of the shooting blocked off with tape, and crime scene investigators were on the scene working.

A baby carriage remained in the street in front of the houses during the early hours of the investigation.

Cullum said there were several people inside the house when the shooting took place, including a young child.

"We believe everybody knew each other," he said.

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