A judge in Cook County, Illinois ruled that Elliot Mayfield (53), a former drug counselor, acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a man who attacked him and his daughters at a bus stop last year. This acquittal resulted in Mayfield’s release from the prison where he has been since February of 2010.
According to testimony, Mayfield and his two daughters (age 11 and 15) were waiting for a bus when they were approached by an intoxicated man who offered to sell them drugs. The man, Samuel Fullilove (33) became more aggressive, prompting Mayfield to display his gun and warn the man that he would use it.
Surveillance cameras caught Fullilove swinging his fists at Mayfield and chasing him. At one point, one of Mayfield’s daughters became involved in the fight, and that’s when the father shot the assailant in the chest.
Judge Maura Slattery Boyle said “Mr. Mayfield was not the aggressor…Here is this man just trying to get home, and their paths cross and tragedy ensued.”
Mayfield said he prayed for the family of the man he shot, but he was glad he had his gun on him that day.
Source: Chicago Tribune