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MEXICO, NY — A man was shot and killed in the early hours of Saturday morning in a Tops grocery store parking lot, with the suspect later claiming he acted in self-defense after snowballs were thrown at his truck, according to court documents.
New York State Police said Jacob Walsh, 32, was shot once in the chest around 2:54 a.m. at the Tops supermarket on Main Street. The alleged shooter, 27-year-old Zachary W. Chilson, was arrested later that day and charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
According to court records, Chilson told investigators that he fired in self-defense after two snowballs were thrown at his truck. However, a witness account paints a different picture of the events leading up to the shooting.
Tommy Coe, a longtime friend of Walsh, told troopers that he and Walsh had been out walking and dumpster diving when they noticed a black pickup truck following them. Coe stated that the truck seemed to be searching for them, speeding through the streets as they tried to evade it.
At one point, Coe and Walsh hid in a dumpster at a Fastrac convenience store, but when they resumed walking home, the truck reappeared, this time with its high beams on. Coe told troopers that a man got out of the vehicle, began arguing with Walsh, and brandished a firearm before putting it away and engaging in a physical fight.
Walsh reportedly got the upper hand in the
altercation, but as the suspect broke free and ran back to his truck, he turned and fired a single shot at Walsh, hitting him in the chest. Coe said he was close enough to see sparks from the gun as it fired.
According to a report from New York Upstate, Coe did not mention anything about snowballs being thrown at Chilson’s truck in his statement to police.
Chilson fled the scene but was later taken into custody. He is being held without bail on murder and weapons charges.
Self-Defense and Legal Considerations
Claiming self-defense requires evidence that a person was facing an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death. While Chilson stated that snowballs were thrown at his truck, that alone would not justify the use of deadly force under New York law. If the shooting occurred after the physical fight had ended and Chilson was no longer in danger, prosecutors may argue that it was not a justifiable act of self-defense.
This case underscores the importance of understanding self-defense laws, particularly the legal requirement that deadly force must be a last resort when facing an immediate threat. Those who carry firearms for personal protection should be aware of their state’s self-defense statutes to ensure they act within the law.
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