Minnesota Man Charged with Murder After Shooting Sister's Boyfriend Over TV Dispute

Alvin James Smith, 20, shot Demarcus Gibson-Beard dead in St. Paul after a TV-moving request sparked an argument. Smith is held on $1 million bail.

St. Paul Shooting: TV Argument Ends in Fatal Gunshot to the Head

A 20-year-old St. Paul, Minnesota man has been charged with second-degree murder after police say he shot his sister's boyfriend dead following a dispute over moving a television, Law & Crime reports.

Alvin James Smith is being held at the Ramsey County Jail on $1 million bail in connection with the death of Demarcus Gibson-Beard, 27. Officers from the St. Paul Police Department were called to a home Saturday morning after receiving a report of a person shot in the head. They found Gibson-Beard lying on the living room floor with a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Smith was identified as the shooter by Gibson-Beard's mother, sister, and fiancée.

A Request Deemed "Disrespectful"

According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law & Crime, Gibson-Beard and his fiancée had come to the house that morning to deliver a television. Gibson-Beard asked Smith to help carry the TV from the car into the home. Smith allegedly found the request "disrespectful," and the two men began to argue.

The dispute quickly escalated beyond the television. Gibson-Beard reportedly confronted Smith over the fact that Smith and his girlfriend — Gibson-Beard's sister — were living at Gibson-Beard's mother's house rent-free and not contributing to household bills. Gibson-Beard's mother told police there had been ongoing "tension" in the household, as her daughter and Smith had refused to leave despite being asked "repeatedly."

From Verbal Clash to Gunshot

The verbal altercation turned physical and moved from outside the home to inside, where Gibson-Beard "rushed" at Smith, according to the complaint. As family members tried to separate the two, Gibson-Beard's fiancée told officers she heard a "pop" and saw smoke near Gibson-Beard's head before he collapsed to the floor. Smith's girlfriend said she also heard a single gunshot, after which Smith allegedly said, "I'm going to jail," before fleeing the scene.

While on the run, Smith called his girlfriend and told her he did not want to go to jail and that he had an "illegal handgun." His girlfriend, working alongside officers, persuaded him to return to the scene, which he did.

"I Know Where I F—ing Aimed"

During his arrest, Smith claimed that Gibson-Beard had slapped his sister and that he fired in self-defense. Gibson-Beard's mother disputed this account, telling police her son did not slap his sister.

In his statement to police, Smith said Gibson-Beard called him a derogatory name and behaved in a "threatening" manner, prompting him and his girlfriend to retreat to their shared bedroom, where he retrieved and concealed the gun. Smith then alleged that Gibson-Beard struck both him and his girlfriend, at which point he "drew the handgun" and "put one in the head," adding, "I know where I f—ing aimed."

After fleeing the home, Smith hid under a vehicle in a wooded area and called two people to tell them "he had just killed someone."

Smith is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Source: Law & Crime