A man accused of killing his roommate in Prince George’s County, Maryland, claimed he was defending himself, according to court documents. But police say he was still shooting as the roommate ran away.
Officers responded to a townhouse on Berrywood Lane in Springdale at around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. They found 27-year-old Domonique Scott Hayes dead of gunshot wounds.
According to court documents, 38-year-old Richard Bennaugh told detectives he was sleeping on the couch at 5:30 a.m. when Scott Hayes started yelling, asking him for the TV remote. Bennaugh said Scott Hayes was holding two knives.
Bennaugh said he then grabbed his Springfield XD handgun and pointed it at Scott Hayes who backed off.
Bennaugh told investigators Scott Hayes said he wouldn’t shoot. He responded by saying, “there’s only one way to find out,” according to prosecutors.
Bennaugh stated that Scott Hayes advanced and that is when he fired multiple times. He said he didn’t see blood and thought he missed and went back to sleep. He later drove to a marijuana dispensary and tobacco shop, then returned home, smoked and later flushed the shell casings.
Bennaugh also spoke to numerous friends about the shooting as they urged him to call 911.
He finally went to check on Scott Hayes and found him in a pool of blood. Bennaugh surrendered to police when they arrived.
Investigators found bullet holes in multiple places, leading them to believe Bennaugh had fired shots as Scott Hayes retreated.
Bennaugh was also prohibited from owning a handgun due to a prior criminal conviction.
He has been charged with manslaughter.
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