Toone Shooting: Man Charged With First-Degree Murder

A Hardeman County man is charged with first-degree murder after a Toone shooting on Monday afternoon left one man dead, according to the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say the man told them he fired in self-defense, but the arrest warrant says the victim was trying to leave the driveway when he was shot.

Jatarious Fuller faces charges of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The victim’s name has not been released.

What happened on Simmons Loop

Deputies and investigators were sent to a home on Simmons Loop in Toone around 3:40 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, after a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Fuller on the front porch of the residence, according to the sheriff’s office.

The victim was found slumped in the front seat of a vehicle. He had two gunshot wounds, one to the chest and one to the left arm.

The sheriff’s office said Fuller claimed self-defense when he spoke with 911 dispatchers and again when he spoke with investigators at the scene.

Toone shooting: what the arrest warrant says

According to the warrant, as reported by the sheriff’s office:

• Fuller told investigators the victim pulled into the driveway, got out of his vehicle, and began banging on the front door.
• Fuller said he looked out a window, saw the man, and yelled for him to leave or he would shoot.
• Fuller then got a handgun from inside the house, went outside, and found the victim sitting in his vehicle. He is accused of walking into the driveway and shooting him.
• Afterward, Fuller said he reached into the vehicle to put it in park and turn it off. He then took the handgun back inside, wrapped it up, and laid it on his bed.

Investigators concluded that the victim was trying to leave the driveway when the shots were fired. That finding is central to the first-degree murder charge, which goes beyond the self-defense account Fuller gave.

What comes next

The case will move through the Hardeman County court system. The sheriff’s office had not released details about a bond amount or a first court date as of Tuesday evening. Tippah News will update this story if more information becomes available.

Toone is a small community in northern Hardeman County, Tennessee. The Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office also covers Middleton, Bolivar, Whiteville, Saulsbury, and the county’s other towns.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information about the case can contact the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office at 505 S. Main St. in Bolivar.

Related: Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office Adds Two Deputies | Hardeman County Sheriff Gun Auction Set for Oct. 17

Source: Hatchie Press, citing the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office