Severn Man Acquitted of Shooting Romantic Rival in Leg

SEVERN, MD — A Severn man was acquitted Monday of shooting another man in the leg in June — allegedly because the defendant's girlfriend left their house last at night to hook up with the shooting victim — which he denied.

James Eugene Dyson, 34, of Severn was found not guilty by an Anne Arundel County jury of charges including attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment.

A man was shot in the leg about 4:30 a.m. June 20 while walking near Pioneer Drive and Arwell Court in Severn, authorities say. Anne Arundel County Police say the 30-year-old male victim was walking when three people approached him. One of the suspects — whom police later identified as Dyson, but which he has continually denied — took out a handgun, shot the pedestiran in the leg, then fled on foot.

The injured man went to a family member’s house nearby and was driven by family to Laurel Regional Hospital. Officers located a possible crime scene on Richfield Drive.

Prosecutors said Dyson and others went looking for the victim after Dyson's girlfriend left the home to have sex with the other man. Dyson's attorney, Roland Brown, disputed the theory and said that Dyson and the woman were taking a break from the relationship.

Brown told The Capital-Gazette that father of three was "ecstatic to be back with his kids. He's trying to get a job . . . and go back to school."

Police failed to find a gun after searching Dyson's house, and there was no indication he had owned a weapon. He was identified by the victim in a photo lineup, the newspaper reports.

Dyson was held in the Jennifer Road Detention Facility from the time of his arrest until the trial.