Tennessee: Charges unlikely after shooting of would-be robber

Jackson, Tennessee

From the Jackson Sun of January 9, 2008

Charges unlikely after shooting of would-be robber

Jackson police and the district attorney general say at this time they do not expect to charge a Jackson woman who fatally shot a man after he tried to rob her boyfriend inside her home last week.

Justin Cheatham, 24, was shot multiple times by Jennifer Owens around 8 p.m. Wednesday at 51 B Leland Lane, according to a police press release.

Police have said Cheatham and two other men - Antonio Long and Christopher Smith - went to the duplex to buy marijuana from Kenneth Bond. Bond is Owen's boyfriend and also lives at the residence.
According to an account of the incident in an affidavit of complaint, Bond left the three men in the living room and went into the kitchen. He then heard a voice behind him say, "You might as well drop it off."

"He turned around to find Cheatham armed with a handgun," the affidavit states. "Bond grabbed at the gun and a struggle ensued. At that point, Antonio Long came into the kitchen and pointed a long gun at Bond."

Bond told the two men they could take whatever they wanted, but he refused to release the hold he had on Cheatham's gun, "out of fear of being shot," the affidavit states.

Owens heard the struggle from her bedroom and went into the kitchen to find out what was happening. Long momentarily diverted his attention away from Bond and pointed his gun at Owens, telling her to move over to where Bond and Cheatham were, the affidavit states.

Owens told then told Cheatham and Long that her 5-year-old child was in the residence and that they needed to leave.

Police said that another struggle occurred and Owens grabbed a handgun and fired, striking Cheatham several times.

Cheatham collapsed outside the home and was pronounced dead at the scene. Long and Smith also ran out of the home, police have said.

Long, 22, was arrested and has been arraigned on charges of attempted aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. He remains in jail on a $100,000 bond and is also being held on parole violation. He is scheduled to appear in court next at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 17.

Owens and Bond are not facing any charges. Smith, who police have said was in another room when the attempted robbery took place, also has not been charged.

Lt. Mike Holt of the Jackson Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit said Tuesday that it appears that Owens shot Cheatham as he was leaving and just outside the house, in the area around the front door.

"At this time we do not anticipate filing any additional charges with respect to Ms. Jennifer Owens in this case," he said.

Holt said that police met with District Attorney General Jerry Woodall and explained the circumstances of the case as they relate to Owens, "as we now know them."

"He did not feel that it would be appropriate to charge her based with the information we have at this point and we don't disagree with him," Holt said. "Any additional charges in this case will be made at the grand jury after completion of the investigation when all of the facts can be presented in their entirety to the District Attorney's Office for review."