Fort Mill killing caught on video was self defense, lawyer says; prosecutors say murder
The lawyer for a Fort Mill man charged with murder in a fatal shooting in a crowded gas station parking lot claimed in court Friday the shooting caught on video was self-defense.
However, York County prosecutors balked at the self-defense claim and said the video shows the shooting was an inexplicable and “stupid” killing.
Yet both sides say that video surveillance from the gas station that shows the killing will prove their case.
Anquante El-Malik Lemel Watts, 23, is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in the Feb. 19 death of Sy’Veon My’Veon Howard, 25, of Lancaster. Howard died after Watts shot Howard in the head around 11:20 p.m. in the parking lot of the Circle K station at the corner of U.S. 21 and Sutton Road, police and prosecutors said in a court hearing Friday.
Watts was arrested Wednesday after turning himself in while police were seeking him for the shooting.
Shots fired in crowded public place
At least eight shots were fired during the melee in the parking lot that had several cars and many people in it at the time of the shooting, officials said.
Friday’s court hearing was held because Watts wanted bail to get out of jail on bond pending trial.
The hearing was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the lawyers and judge speaking remotely and Watts appearing from the York County Jail on videoconference. The Herald was the only media organization to attend the virtual hearing, records show.
The shooting and events that led to the killing were captured on store surveillance video, testimony showed.
In the hearing, Watts’ lawyer, Zach Merritt of the Michael Brown law firm, said Watts was threatened by a group of other men who went to the store’s lot after bars close in South Carolina at 11 p.m. because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
“The place turns into a bar after everything closes,” Merritt said.
Watts was with a woman and felt threatened by at least eight men who were dancing and yelling in the parking lot, Merritt said in court. One of the men claimed that Watts “stepped on my shoes” during an exchange of words after Watts walked out of the store and back to his car after buying cigarettes, Merritt said in court.
At least one man pointed a finger at Watts and grabbed Watts’ vehicle, and two men came at Watts when Watts was back in his car at the gas pump, Merritt said in court.
“These people were armed and dangerous and liquored up,” Merritt said of the crowd.
Self-defense or murder?
Merritt claimed in court Watts only fired a single shot through the open passenger window because of the threats. Merritt said the video shows that Watts was defending himself.
Others in the crowd then fired at least eight shots as Watts left after the shooting, Merritt said
“This is a pure case of self-defense,” Merritt said in court.
Watts did not speak in court from jail.
Prosecutor Willy Thompson, 16th Circuit deputy solicitor, disputed the self-defense claim. Watts had been inside the store and at the gas pumps for several minutes and had walked through the crowd of people outside the store when Watts could have avoided confrontation outside the store, Thompson said.
Watts was then pulling away from the gas pumps when Watts fired the fatal shot, Thompson said.
“This young man (Watts) shot for no reason,” Thompson said in court. “Inexplicably, as he was driving away slowly, he fired a shot through the passenger window and hit the victim in the head.”
Thompson disputed the claim that Watts was being threatened at the time the shot was fired. Thompson said the video shows the victim was pulling up his pants before he was shot to death.
“This killing was not self-defense,” Thompson said in court.
Defendant involvement after 2018 killing
Thompson brought up in court that Watts finished probation in 2020 for an obstruction of justice conviction from a 2018 killing in Fort Mill where Watts was the getaway driver. Watts pleaded guilty in 2019 to his role in that case after the death of former South Pointe High School football star De’Mon Davis. Another man was convicted of manslaughter after pleading guilty to being the shooter in that 2018 killing.
Thompson said Watts’ criminal history plus the current case shows he is a danger to the public and a flight risk if released on bond pending trial.
York County Circuit Court Judge Dan Hall agreed with prosecutors that Watts is a potential flight risk and danger to the public if released.
“This happened just seven days ago in a public place,” Hall said in court.
Hall denied bond to Watts.
Watts will remain in the York County Jail pending trial. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder under South Carolina law. No trial date has been set.
