New Year's Day

Prosecutors in Summerville South Carolina will not be prosecuting Joseph Harriott. Harriott, claiming self defense, shot his roommate Brian Sessoms three times, in the chest, stomach and elbow, on New Year's Day.

The 25 year old Harriott tossed the 24 year old Sessoms out on his ear after Brian Sessoms hit his 16 year old girlfriend. He warned him that he would shoot him if he came back inside. Harriott's 21 year old fiance' called 911, describing Sessoms as intoxicated, in a violent rage and beating his girlfriend. She begged the dispatcher to expedite the police response.

Sessoms re-entered the home by climbing onto an air conditioning unit, and crawling through a second story window window. Harriott shot him in the abdomen as he came down the stairs. Harriott began to treat Sessom's injury, and his fiance' dialed 911 again. While waiting for officers EMS to arrive, Sessoms decided to fight. Harriott shot him two more times. "I shot Sessoms because he was trying to get to the girls," Harriott told deputies at the scene.

911 tapes reveal Harriott attempted to save Sessoms' life by applying direct pressure to an abdominal gunshot wound immediately after the shooting. Harriott can be heard in the background of the audio tape telling Sessoms not to fight him. Police recovered a .380 caliber handgun at the scene.

Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson states she will not to charge Harriott for the shooting. She refers to state law for self defense stating if the first shot is justified, a person can keep shooting until a threat is eliminated.

Still even though criminal charges will not be pressed, civil litigation is probably on the horizon. One must consider that Sessoms also lived at the domicile where the shooting took place. Real injuries occurred, and not much can be said for the mature decision making skills of a 25 year old man who has a 16 year old girlfriend. The Sessoms family is outraged that criminal charges were not brought forward. "We feel my nephew was murdered in cold blood," said Regina Sessoms. "He was not a home invader, he was living there and paying rent. How can it be self-defense against someone who was unarmed?"

A comment from Buffy: "I live in the town where the shooting occurred. The news media have no interest in accuracy. The shooter(Harriott)was 25 and was with his 21 year old fiance' who is the one who made all the 911 calls. The man who was shot (Sessoms) was 24 with a 16 year old girlfriend. His girlfriend had another 16 year old friend with her."

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

Audio file of the 911 call.