U.S. Woman Who Killed Abusive Partner Who Was Attacking Her Son Will Not Be Charged

The woman who shot to death her abusive partner at Planet 3 Extreme Air Park in Flint Township on Jan. 18 was able to dodge charges after Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton ruled the incident as an act of self-defense. The shooting incident made headlines two weeks ago after the 39-year-old woman was caught on surveillance camera pulling out a gun and shooting a man, later identified as Damon Hodges, to death.

On Monday, Leyton confirmed that the woman would not face charges because her decision to kill Damon Hodges was out of reasonable fear that he might kill her or her 14-year-old son. The police did not identify the name of the woman because she is a victim of domestic violence.

During a news conference on Monday, Leyton also explained that the woman bringing a gun to the park and gunning down her abusive partner was not in violation of the Michigan law. “I had to ask the question of ‘Was it an honest and reasonable belief for the woman to think that her life or the life of her son was in danger of death or serious injury when she pulled the trigger?’,” he said.

“While it is a rule of the business to not bring guns inside the building, the woman was in violation of the business’s posting but not Michigan or federal law,” he added.

Leyton also revealed that following a thorough investigation of Hodges’ background, they discovered his long history of violent acts and domestic violence and confirmed that he was once a convicted child abuser.

Genesee County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tammy Phillips confirmed the report, saying Hodges had had at least 10 victims since 1993. To hide his crimes, he made multiple threats to kill his victims, burn their homes down and strangle them. Prior to the P3 shooting, Hodges did not only strangle his female partner who ultimately took his life but also the woman’s son.

In 1995, he was also charged with first-degree child abuse after assaulting a 16-day old child. The child suffered severe brain damage and eventually died. He served 15 years in prison in connection to the incident.