ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - An argument over moving a television on Aug. 29 ended with a man being shot and killed inside his mother's St. Paul home, according to charges filed in Ramsey County Court.
St. Paul homicide
What we know:
Alvin James Smith, 20, is charged with second-degree murder after authorities say he fatally shot his girlfriend's brother during a dispute at a Park Street residence.
According to charges filed in the case, St. Paul police responded at about 11:48 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29 to 601 Park St. after a 911 caller reported someone had been shot in the head. Officers arrived to find the victim, a 27-year-old man identified in court documents as Demarcus Gibson-Beard, on the ground in the living room with a gunshot wound to his head. Medics transported him to the hospital, where he died.
The home belonged to the victim's mother, who was present at the time of the shooting. Also present were the victim's sister, ALG, who is Smith's girlfriend, and the victim's fiancée.
What they're saying:
The complaint states that according to the victim's mother, her son and his fiancée had come over to help move a television. An argument broke out when Smith objected to being asked to help with the TV. She said she tried to hold her son back, but Smith kept approaching him. The two began to physically fight, and Smith pulled out a gun and shot her son in the face. She also told police there had been ongoing tension in the home because she had repeatedly asked Smith and her daughter to move out, but they refused.
The complaint states the victim's fiancée told police that Gibson-Beard had asked Smith to move the TV from the vehicle into the apartment, and Smith acted as if the request was disrespectful. The argument escalated and moved inside the residence. She said Gibson-Beard rushed at Smith, threw one punch that did not land, and then she heard a single "pop" and saw smoke near Gibson-Beard's head before he fell to the ground.
TV move argument turns deadly
The backstory:
The complaint states Smith's girlfriend told police the disagreement started over who would move the TV. She said she tried to separate the two men, that Gibson-Beard assaulted Smith and also punched her in the head. She heard a single gunshot and said she did not know Smith had a gun. As Smith fled, he said, "I'm going to jail."
However, police noted that Smith's girlfriend showed no visible injuries to her face or head when they interviewed her, and the victim's mother denied that Gibson-Beard struck his sister.
The complaint states after the shooting, the woman called Smith and he agreed to return. During that call, he said he did not want to go to jail, that he had an illegal handgun and that he wanted to kill himself. Officers talked him into coming back to the scene. When he returned, he was arrested with a handgun — one without a serial number — in his waistband.
During his arrest, Smith said, "He slapped me so hard in my head, and my girl, he slapped my girlfriend and I didn't want no one to get hurt, so I used the gun that I found to defend myself."
What we don't know:
The complaint states Smith told investigators the argument began because Gibson-Beard called him and his girlfriend a derogatory name and complained about Smith staying at the home. He said Gibson-Beard was being "threatening," so he went into the bedroom he shared with the woman and concealed the handgun under his arm, saying he had it for "protection." He returned to the living room, where he said Gibson-Beard reached around the woman and slapped him hard and also struck her.
Smith said he then drew the handgun, racked the slide and fired. He said, "I know where I f---ing aimed." He fled the apartment with the firearm, ran to a wooded area and hid under a vehicle. He then called a friend and a cousin and told them he had just killed someone.
The complaint states while talking with investigators, Smith displayed self-injurious behavior, banging his head on a table until he was bleeding. He again expressed that he wanted to kill himself.
Smith, who is from Wisconsin, has no prior criminal history. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison.
The Source: Criminal charges filed in Ramsey County Court.