Pennsylvania DA Clears Relative Who Shot 24-Year-Old With Crossbow During Overnight Domestic Incident in Sharon
Key Takeaways
- Mercer County District Attorney Jacob C. Sander announced no charges will be filed in the crossbow death of 24-year-old Billy Colwell in Sharon, Pennsylvania.
- The relative who shot Colwell with a crossbow during a domestic incident on September 24 acted in self-defense, Sander concluded.
- Officers found Colwell critically wounded at a home on the 200 block of South Myers Avenue after being called at 1:20 a.m.
- A crossbow bolt struck Colwell in the shoulder just below the collarbone, and he was pronounced dead at UPMC Shenango in Farrell at 2:53 a.m.
- The relative who fired the crossbow has not been publicly identified, and no court case will bring the evidence into public view.
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SHARON, PA — The relative who shot 24-year-old Billy Colwell with a crossbow during a domestic incident in September acted in self-defense and will not be charged, Mercer County District Attorney Jacob C. Sander announced Monday.
“The city of Sharon Police Department has completed its investigation into the death of Billy Colwell on Thursday, Sept. 24,” Sander said in the announcement, as reported by the Sharon Herald. “After thorough consideration of the evidence and relevant legal authority, it is the professional opinion of the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office that this homicide was justified by self-defense. Therefore, no charges will be filed.”
Police were called at 1:20 a.m. that Thursday to a home on the 200 block of South Myers Avenue, about two blocks south of Sharon High School, for a man shot with a crossbow, according to the Herald. WFMJ described it as a domestic incident involving a family member.
Officers found Colwell critically wounded. The crossbow bolt had struck him in the shoulder, just below the collarbone. He was taken to UPMC Shenango in Farrell. He was pronounced dead in the emergency department at 2:53 a.m.
Mercer County Coroner John A. Libonati ruled the cause of death a penetrating wound to the chest and the manner of death homicide. In a coroner’s ruling, homicide simply means a death caused by another person. It is not a finding that a crime occurred, which is why the DA’s statement can call it a homicide and a justified one in the same sentence.
Sander did not disclose the circumstances that led to the shooting, WFMJ reported. The relative who fired has not been publicly identified. With no charges filed, there is no court case to bring the evidence into public view.
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The weapon is the unusual part of this story, but it changes nothing about how self-defense works. A crossbow bolt is deadly force, the same as a bullet. The question is whether the person faced an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, not what tool was in hand when it happened. That is a mindset point for anyone who keeps a firearm or anything else for defense. The law looks at the threat, not the tool.
After Sharon police completed their investigation, Sander’s office reviewed the evidence and concluded the killing was justified. Colwell was 24, according to WKBN. The relative who fired the crossbow will not face charges.
Read the original story: Pennsylvania DA Clears Relative Who Shot 24-Year-Old With Crossbow During Overnight Domestic Incident in Sharon