Man Shot, Killed During Domestic Dispute: Gwinnett Police

PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA — A man was shot and killed in Peachtree Corners Monday while his wife was trying to move away from him, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Dwayne Pete, 30, was shot by Jerry Bennett, 18, of Spartanburg, SC, after while Pete was arguing with his wife and Bennett was helping her move out to South Carolina, according to police. At around midnight between Sunday and Monday, officers assigned to the West Precinct were dispatched to a “person shot” call at 3700 Springs Lane Apartment 37F.

When officers arrived, they met with a woman who stated that her husband had been shot. Officers found Pete and applied a chest seal to his injury. The Gwinnett County Fire Department arrived shortly thereafter and transported Pete to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. Police have notified next of kin.

Bennett was placed under arrest and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. He was taken to the Gwinnett County Jail.

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Pete's wife and Bennett told police that Pete and his wife were having marital problems, and she was the process of moving to South Carolina. Bennett was there to assist with the move. While in the apartment gathering some of her belongings, Pete and his wife began to have a verbal altercation. At one point, Pete reportedly pushed his wife with his hands. Bennett entered the room and shot Pete in the chest. Both the wife and Bennett began to apply pressure to Pete’s injuries while waiting for first responders.

In this case, the lead detective believes that the threshold to justify deadly force was not met, said Cpl. Michele Pihera, Gwinnett County Police Department.

According to OCGA 16-3-21, “a person is justified in using force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm only if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to himself or herself or a third person or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.”

"Possessing a firearm comes with a lot of responsibility," Pihera said. "We encourage all those who carry such a powerful weapon to learn not only how to use it properly but also the laws which allow someone to use deadly force."

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department