Beechview man to stand trial in coworker’s shooting death
Defense attorneys argue self-defense
Defense attorneys for a 23-yearold man who fatally shot a 50year-old coworker on Aug. 4 laid the groundwork for self-defense during a preliminary hearing in City Court, Downtown, on Friday.
District Judge Eugene Ricciardi nevertheless ordered Deon Wells to stand trial in the shooting death of Timothy Maxon — but only after noting that preliminary hearings require “the lowest level of proof.”
Mr. Wells and Mr. Maxon worked together at a group home for mentally disabled adults on Kendridge Drive in Kennedy. The home is run by ARC Human Services.
Mr. Wells and Mr. Maxon were scheduled to work the overnight shift at the home on Aug. 4. But when Mr. Maxon arrived for work around 11 p.m., he was agitated and began cursing and yelling at Mr. Wells, according to a criminal complaint.
Mr. Wells told police that he left the home to get away from Mr. Maxon and got into the passenger side of his car. Mr. Maxon then left the home and came toward the car, Mr. Wells claimed.
He told police that he grabbed a gun from the glovebox of his car — a Glock 17 that he was licensed to carry — and held it at his side.
He told Mr. Maxon to back off, he told police. Mr. Maxon then moved toward him with his fists clenched, Mr. Wells said, so he lifted the gun and fired two shots.
Mr. Maxon was not carrying any weapons at the time, according to police.
Mr. Wells called 911 after Mr. Maxon was shot and cooperated with police. Mr. Wells’ attorney, Blaine Jones, said Mr. Wells was intimidated by Mr. Maxon’s stature — he stood about 6 feet 3 and weighed around 265 pounds. But prosecutor Lisa Pellegrini said there was no good reason for Mr. Wells to use deadly force.
“This could have been a fistfight,” she said. “But he used a deadly weapon.”
Family and friends of Mr. Wells and Mr. Maxon were in the courtroom for the hearing.
Some of Mr. Maxon’s relatives cried throughout the proceeding. At the end, Mr. Wells’ family shouted that they loved him as he was taken back to jail. No one wanted to comment.