Hatfield Man Arrested For Shooting Death During Neighborhood Gathering: DA

HATFIELD, PA — A man who allegedly shot and killed another man inside a Hatfield home during a neighborhood gathering has been arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

Derrick Cosby, 43, has been arrested in the death of Jeremy Chasteen 31, in connection with the incident which occurred inside Cosby's house on July 22, the DA said.

According to previous reports, Chasteen and his wife Felicia had left the gathering and were inside their car when his wife told him he was too drunk to drive.

Chasteen's wife later said that they went back inside and there was a commotion and a large group of people, and she couldn't see her husband. Then there was a gunshot and Chasteen was dead. Felicia said that she didn't know who shot her husband.

However, authorities said from the beginning that the shooter himself had been the one to call 9-1-1 that night. In an affidavit of probable cause released by authorities on Thursday, this is confirmed. Documents detail Cosby's 9-1-1 call at 11:45 p.m., in which he said that he shot someone in a domestic violence incident.

"He was beating up his wife and I had no choice," Cosby told the 9-1-1 operator.

Cosby told police that Chasteen had struck his wife with a closed fist when she refused to get back into the car. Shortly thereafter, inside the house, several people formed a barricade between the couple, and Jeremy was shoving through to get to Felicia, Cosby said.

That's when Cosby said he pulled the trigger, as he stood about five feet from Chasteen, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Police said that Cosby did not call police before the shooting, nor did he provide a warning to Chasteen before he shot him.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Cosby for Aug. 17.

Image via Montgomery County District Attorney's Office