Daily FGS
Memphis Man Shoots Home Intruder After Break-In, Now Charged with Manslaughter
by Luke McCoy
EAST MEMPHIS, TN — A Memphis man is facing voluntary manslaughter charges following the fatal shooting of an intruder who broke into his apartment in the early morning hours. The incident has raised significant questions about self-defense, legal boundaries, and the risks of making statements to police without legal counsel.According to court documents and statements made to police, 30-year-old Marques Griffin was awakened around 2:30 a.m. by strange noises inside his apartment on Robin Hood Lane. Investigators say Griffin found a man inside his living room who had entered through a broken window. Griffin confronted the intruder, who reportedly said, “I didn’t know anyone lived here.”
Griffin, a legal gun owner, was armed with his registered handgun. He told police that the man walked out of the apartment through the front door after their brief confrontation. Griffin then followed him outside, where he claims the man appeared to reach toward his waistband — leading him to believe the intruder might be armed. Griffin fired three rounds at close range, striking the man fatally.
No information has yet been released confirming whether the intruder had a weapon. However, Griffin told investigators at the scene that he fired the shots as the man was running away — a detail that prosecutors appear to have used in filing voluntary manslaughter charges.
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Mr. Griffin needs a lawer to negotiate a plea deal, not a gun mag puff piece.
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No, no, no.
He was ok to walk the perp – peacefully – through the front door.
After that, everything went sideways.
Yep. Best STFU and get a lawyer.
Never, ever, ever give any information beyond what is legally required to law enforcement after involvement in a critical incident without a lawyer present.
Smart suspects always demand a lawyer at the first opportunity. Anything uttered thereafter is usually not admissible.
Poor choices all around.
Any statements he may or may not have made have to also agree with the physical evidence. I have no doubt had he plugged the dude while they were both inside the apartment, it would have been a slam dunk “good shoot”.
The physical evidence in this situation painted him in a very bad position for shooting the guy, also dependent upon the wording of the self defense statute / stand your ground law etc. that would apply in this case. Outside the apartment, running away is a pretty darn hard thing to overcome when trying to claim imminent threat to the shooter.
A good defense expert witness who could speak to reaction times could potentially paint a picture that the bad guy ended up turned around between the time of perception and the time of round impact.
But given the shooter’s statements that he shot the guy as he ran away…yeah, he’s likely fucked.
1)Never follow the perp outside
2)Never shoot at a fleeing felon
3) Never talk to the police
Exatly
It is pretty fundamental that a burglary victim cannot shoot the burglar in the back after he exits your premises and is running away, even if he is packing. Marques will likely be convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Especially if he cannot successfully refute his statements to the officers. Key evidence will be whether the burglar took the three shots to his back at distance from the muzzle.