A North Carolina man killed another man with a crossbow recently in North Carolina. A press release from District Attorney Ernie Lee called the actions justified due to self-defense.
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Man Uses Crossbow in Self-Defense
Authorities found 58-year-old Frank Tate, Sr., dead on the lawn on Sept. 22. Twenty-year-old Quinton Eaton-DeRosa shot and killed the man with a crossbow. He later dialed 9-1-1 following the fatal incident, according to jdnews.com. Deputies arrived and administered CPR, but later pronounced Tate dead on the scene.
According to Lee’s press release, eyewitnesses told law enforcement that Tate approached Eaton-DeRosa. He ultimately advanced on the younger man in a threatening manner, according to jdnews.com. The men reportedly began arguing over the use of a workshop at the local trailer park where they both lived. Owned by the trailer park, the workshop houses tools and groundskeeping equipment. Onslow County Sheriff’s Office Col. Chris Thomas said Eaton-DeRosa kept a crossbow there regularly, according to jdnews.com.
“While investigating the case, Lee wrote that the prior behavior and actions of Eaton-DeRosa and Tate were considered alongside the information gathered by investigators through more than a dozen interviews, including two eyewitnesses to the incident. Thomas said the two men hand history, though law enforcement had not been called out for any previous incidents,” reported jdnews.com.
“The evidence at the scene, the statements of eyewitnesses, and other evidence confirm that there is substantial evidence of self-defense,” Lee wrote, according to jdnews.com. “I have determined that the shooting death of Frank Tate Jr., while tragic, was justified and no criminal charges in this matter are warranted.”
No other person suffered injury during the incident. North Carolina law permits deadly force if someone believes there is a need to defend himself or others. Whether for death or serious injury, reasonable belief based on the circumstances at the time dictate that actions to be justified.
