A Tennessee man, 51-year-old Decarlo Pitchford, is accused of shooting his wife during an argument. He allegedly drove her to the hospital, but stopped on the way to get some beer.
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As reported by Law & Crime, the incident took place on July 19. Inside a Fostoria Road residence in Memphis, Pitchford and his wife, according to prosecutors, had gotten into a heated argument.
At one point, the woman, who remains unnamed, decided to exit the house. However, Pitchford allegedly prevented her from leaving, blocking the way. A Shelby County District Attorney’s Office release alleged that Pitchford said at the time, “I told you to stop playing with me.”
At that moment, it is believed that Pitchford shot his wife. As per a criminal complaint affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, Pitchford allegedly fired a 9 mm Ruger handgun.
“As she walked near the bathroom, Defendant Decarlo Pitchford stood in the hallway, pointed the handgun, and fired one round, striking her in the abdomen,” the affidavit said. “She stated that the shooting was intentional, despite the suspect claiming it was an accident.”
Beer Stop
The document added that Pitchford decided to take his wife to Methodist University Hospital by driving her in his Dodge Ram. However, at some point during the trip, Pitchford allegedly stopped to get a beer.
Police arrived at the Fostoria Road residence after receiving a call about a shooting. While they were told someone had “made a forced entry into the residence,” they found the house empty. Then, they learned that Pitchford and his wife had gone to the hospital.
During a post-Miranda interview, Pìtchford allegedly admitted to having the gun in his possession as a convicted felon. Then, he allegedly told police that, moments before the shooting, he saw that his gun was jammed. In an attempt to clear it, he claimed, the gun “accidentally” went off, shooting his wife as a result, the affidavit alleged.
Decarlo Pitchford was charged with second-degree attempted murder, domestic assault, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and theft of property between $1,000 and $2,500 as per Law & Crime. He is currently being held on a $350,000 bond.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.