LONGVIEW, Texas — Police documents allege a shooting that left a 21-year-old man dead in Longview began with a physical fight between the suspect and the victim.
Tavyon Stephenson, 19, is charged with murder in connection with the July 22 death of Isaiah Dickson, 21, according to Longview police.
Officers responded to the scene of a shooting at the Townhouse South Apartments around 9:45 p.m. on July 22. When emergency crews arrived, they found Dickson suffering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. Stephenson was arrested the next day and booked into the Harrison County Jail and later transferred to the Gregg County Jail.
According to an arrest affidavit, witnesses told police Stephenson approached Dickson, who was attempting to enter a vehicle. Stephenson then allegedly punched Dickson, after which a fight ensued between the two men.
Dickson put Stephenson onto the ground and was on top of him. Witnesses described hearing two gunshots and seeing Dickson fall to the ground, with one witness saying Stephenson said, "I didn't mean to do it, I was just trying to shoot in the air," according to the affidavit.
After the shooting, Stephenson drove away in a silver Toyota Camry belonging to his girlfriend without waiting for emergency services to arrive, arrest documents stated.
Police said that since Stephenson said his intention was to fire his weapon and would have reasonably known Dickson to be in the direct line of gunfire, there was sufficient evidence pointing Stephenson to Dickson's death, documents said.