Quadruple Amputee Athlete Claims Self-defense In Fatal Shooting Of Car Passenger

A professional cornhole player who is simply a quadruple amputee acted successful self-defense erstwhile he fatally changeable a rider successful his car during a heated argument, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Dayton James Webber, 27, appeared by videoconference successful Charles County District Court for a bail hearing, wherever Judge Patrick Devine noted that he near Maryland aft nan March 22 shooting of 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells and ordered that he beryllium held without bail.

Webber, who was extradited from Virginia, faces charges including first- and second-degree murder, arsenic good arsenic battle and firearm offenses. He has not yet entered a plea and is scheduled for a preliminary proceeding connected May 6.

His defense attorney, Andrew Jezic, told nan tribunal that Webber acted successful self-defense and expects “a lengthy trial” to reason nan case.

After nan hearing, Jezic told reporters that his customer was “terrified.”

“The truth present is that he would person been a execution unfortunate if he had not acted instantly successful defense of his life,” Jezic said.

Family members of Webber declined to remark aft nan hearing.

Webber, whose arms and legs were amputated erstwhile he was 10 months aged to prevention his life aft he contracted a superior humor infection, is accused of shooting Wells, of Waldorf, doubly successful nan caput during an argument, according to constabulary charging documents.

Karen Piper Mitchell, a lawman state's attorney, said witnesses successful nan car told authorities nan statement was complete a weapon that a friend of Wells had stolen from Webber, and that Webber was upset Wells was still friends pinch nan thief.

In arguing that Webber should stay successful custody, Mitchell noted that he drove to Virginia aft nan shooting and owns firearms.

According to nan charging documents, Webber pulled complete aft nan shooting successful La Plata, Maryland, and asked 2 backseat passengers to thief propulsion nan unfortunate out, but they refused, sewage retired of nan car and flagged down constabulary officers.

Webber fled pinch nan unfortunate still successful nan car, nan Charles County sheriff’s agency said. Two hours later, a resident successful Charlotte Hall, astir 10 miles (16-kilometer) away, recovered Wells’ assemblage successful a gait on a roadworthy and notified officers.

Detectives tracked down Webber’s car successful Charlottesville, Virginia, and recovered Webber astatine a infirmary wherever he was “seeking curen for a aesculapian issue,” nan sheriff’s agency said.

Webber was featured by ESPN successful 2023 successful a communicative of inspiration, noting he rode ungraded bikes, wrestled and played shot earlier becoming a master cornhole player. The aforesaid year, he wrote an effort for nan “Today” show astir really he became a master competitor. He said he learned to drawback nan legume container by nan corners and propulsion it utilizing his amputated arms.