A man accused of killing his roommate claims he shot him in self-defense, but police say he continued to shoot as the 27-year-old tried to run away, according to court documents.
Police were called to a townhouse on Berrywood Lane in Springdale, Maryland, about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday for a shooting, but they believe Domonique Scott Hayes had been about 5:30 a.m., according to court documents.
Scott Hayes’ roommate, 38-year-old Richard Bennaugh, told detectives he was asleep on the living room couch when his roommate woke him and repeatedly asked where the TV remote could be found.
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Bennaugh said he removed the blanket covering his head and saw Scott Hayes holding two large knives, so he got his gun, court documents say. He said Scott Hayes told him he wouldn’t shoot and started to advance, so he shot the younger man.
Police found multiple bullet holes leading to Scott Hayes’s bedroom.
Bennaugh told detectives he went back to sleep. He said he got up later, drove to a marijuana dispensary in D.C. and to a tobacco shop in Landover. When he got home, he said, he smoked marijuana and flushed the shell casings while contacting friends who urged him to call 911.
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Police responding to Bennaugh’s 911 call found Scott Hayes’ body face down in his bedroom room, one knife in each hand and a third in his waistband. Investigators also found multiple fired bullets and a bottle of bleach.
Bennaugh is prohibited from owning a gun due to a prior criminal conviction. He is charged with manslaughter.
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