Dyersburg, Tenn.–Around 4 a.m. Saturday, December 17, Dyersburg police responded to Laurenwood Apartments on Tickle Street in reference to a gunshot victim. Officers arrived to discover a 26-year-old Dyersburg man that had been shot. The victim was pronounced dead by EMS on the scene. Officers detained the resident of the apartment where the shooting occurred, and he was released from the scene pending further investigation. The shooting victim was the cousin of the individual who lives in the apartment. The investigation revealed that the shooting victim arrived at the apartment and assaulted his cousin while inside the apartment. The resident of the apartment fired a handgun during the assault striking the man.
Dyersburg Police Chief Steve Isbell said, “It was later determined after our investigation, and we are in agreement after consultation with District Attorney General Danny Goodman, that the shooting was self-defense.”
District Attorney General Danny Goodman provided the following statement: “After a thorough investigation by the Dyersburg Police Department and lengthy discussions, we have made the determination that although tragic, this matter was self-defense. Tennessee follows the Castle Doctrine which allows an individual to protect themselves inside their home, and we have determined that was the case with this unfortunate event.”