Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A man who shot and killed another in Springfield was acting in self-defense, prosecutors said.
A press release from the Sangamon County state's attorney said the shooting happened at 3:30 a.m. on July 7, when Martin A. Brown, 26, was inside of a home in the 1400 block of N. 11th St. Prosecutors said Willie C. Evans, 29, arrived at the home, banged on the door repeatedly and threatened violence.
The release said Evans then went to a bedroom window and forced an air conditioning unit through the window to get inside. Brown then fired a gunshot toward the window, striking Evans. Evans later died from his wound.
The state's attorney said his office's investigation found Brown acted with deadly force that was justified by the law "given the unique facts presented," and, because of this, he will not face additional charges.
Brown faces counts of armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon because he had a firearm after past convictions of two forcible felonies, prosecutors said. These include a 2012 residential burglary conviction and a 2018 conviction for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.
At the time of the shooting, Brown was on parole. He turned himself in on July 7 at the Springfield Police Department and is in custody on bond set at $500,000.
Prosecutors said these charges are concurrent and any sentence imposed for each charge would be served simultaneously with any other charge Brown is convicted of.
The press release from the state's attorney is attached to this story as a PDF file.