Fairfield County – A man who was charged with murder last week after shooting a man on his property may have those charges dropped after claiming self-defense.
According to the Fairfield County sheriff’s office, they received a 911 call at 1:52 pm on 5/28/23 of a person shot in the area of 220 block of South Broad Street in Breman. When they arrived they found one man with a gunshot wound and a man with a gun. Deputies that arrived on the scene started life-saving measures but the man succumbed to injuries.
According to reports the shooter was identified as Mark Burrows said that Shannon Mcpeak, 42 went to the South Broad Street location asking for money for a ride. Burrows who was working in the garage with his son in law told deputies that he had confronted Mcpeak and told him to leave, but Mcpeak started arguing with Burrows and when the son-in-law came out to see what the yelling was about Mcpeak threatened him and an altercation began. The fight continued and Mcpeak put the son-in-law to the ground when Burrows went into the garage and armed himself with a firearm and told Mcpeak to stop and leave, but Mcpeak continued. Burrows then fired one shot killing the man.
Burrows was charged with one count of Murder and taken to Fairfield county jail, since then he has been released, and an active investigation is ongoing.
In 2021 Ohio passed a, “stand your ground” self-defense law that says someone can use force up to lethal force to protect themselves on their property.
“The person who is attacked, without fault of his own, may use deadly force only if he reasonably and honestly believed that deadly force was necessary to prevent serious bodily harm or death. If the person does not have this belief, he should not use deadly force. Again, if it does not put your life or the life of others in danger, you should withdraw from the confrontation if it is safe for you to do so.” according to the Ohio Conceal Carry laws manual. But minor bruises from a scuffle may not qualify as “serious.”
