Martell Pickens, Fort Wayne homeowner arrested shooting ‘unarmed’ suspicious man trying to break into his house. Victim identified as Khadolphee Taylor as case explores Indiana’s Stand Your Ground law when reasonable use of deadly force is allowed and why investigators ultimately decided the homeowner had overstepped the law’s boundaries.
Define reasonable deadly force…? Investigators say a Fort Wayne, Indiana homeowner was not justified in shooting an ‘un-armed’ man outside his house earlier this year, who he claimed was trying to enter his home.
Martell Pickens, 30, is facing charges of reckless homicide for allegedly shooting Khadolphee Taylor, 25, outside his Fort Wayne home on May 7, according to the Allen Superior Court.
Fort Wayne homeowner confronts ‘suspicious’ man outside
Pickens told Fort Wayne police he was woken up around 2:45 a.m. and noticed a ‘suspicious’ man walking around his neighborhood, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WANE.
Pickens alleged that Taylor tried to break into various cars.
Surveillance footage from Pickens’ home showed Taylor attempting to break into the residence, which prompted Pickens to go outside armed with a Glock .45 caliber handgun to confront him, according to the affidavit.
Around the same time, Pickens a neighbor called 911 to report the activity.
‘What are you doing?’ Pickens was heard asking on the footage as he warned Taylor to ‘back up.’
Taylor then continued to advance towards him before Pickens shot him, according to the affidavit.
Officers found Taylor bleeding from a single gunshot wound to the chest. He was then rushed to a nearby hospital and was later pronounced dead.
Pickens admitted to police that he shot and killed Taylor, according to the affidavit.
Pickens also allegedly acknowledged that Taylor was unarmed and appeared to be under the influence before he shot him, court documents obtained by 21 Alive show.
Fort Wayne homeowner voluntarily confronted ‘suspicious’ man
Investigators later learned that about 20 minutes before the shooting, police had conducted a traffic stop involving Taylor.
Officers noted Taylor appeared to be intoxicated or mentally impaired, found he was driving with a suspended license, had his car towed and instructed him to walk home, according to the affidavit.
Months after investigators pieced together the full picture, Fort Wayne Police Detective Brian Martin laid out the case against Pickens.
‘Based upon the investigation, Pickens knowingly armed himself and voluntarily exited the safety of his residence to confront Taylor,’ Martin wrote in the affidavit obtained by WANE.
‘During that confrontation, Pickens intentionally discharged a loaded firearm, striking Taylor in the chest and causing his death.’
Understanding Indiana’s Stand Your Ground Law
Martin wrote that Pickens’ actions were not justified, and noted there was no evidence that Taylor was armed with a weapon.
Martin wrote that there was ‘probable cause to believe Pickens recklessly killed Khadolphee D. Taylor by engaging in conduct constituting a plain, conscious, and unjustifiable disregard of harm, the disregard involving a substantial deviation from acceptable standards of conduct.’
Pickens was arrested on Monday and booked into the Allen County Jail. He is being held without bond.
If convicted of reckless homicide, Pickens faces one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Under Indiana’s ‘stand your ground’ law, deadly force can be justified when a homeowner reasonably believes that force is necessary to defend themselves on their own property, according to Purdue Global Law School.
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