CINCINNATI — A 25-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday night in the Villages at Roll Hill, the Cincinnati Police Department said.
Police said officers responded to the 2400 block of Nottingham Road around 9 p.m. for reports of a person shot.
When they arrived, they found Mikal Smith, 25, suffering from a gunshot wound, police said. First responders began life-saving measures, but Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.
On June 16, Cincinnati police announced they arrested 48-year-old Quincy Murray.
In court Wednesday morning, Murray's defense attorney said he has cooperated with officers and has no prior convictions; Murray's attorney said two people — including one who he claims had assaulted his daughter in her home — attacked him that night and Murray was defending himself.
The Hamilton County prosecutor in court said Smith was the boyfriend of Murray's daughter. The prosecutor said Smith was over at the daughter's home trying to pick up belongings after their relationship ended, when he was shot and killed.
"Initially the officers did not charge (Murray) with murder because the allegations were self defense and they wanted to see if they could prove or disprove that claim," the prosecutor said. "They have now obtained video from the Fay Apartments that show this is not a valid self defense claim."
Cincinnati Detective Aubrey Pitts testified in court that officers determined the shooting started as a verbal altercation between Murray and Smith that then escalated into a physical fight. Pitts said Murray threw the first punch and after the two began fighting, others tried to intervene.
"As that continued, Mr. Murray ended up pulling a firearm, that's when you see the victim run away and Mr. Murray pulls the trigger on the firearm, shoots him once and continues towards him," Pitts said. "The victim ended up walking away from him before he ended up collapsing."
The judge set Murray's bond at $1 million.
The shooting investigation is ongoing by Cincinnati police's Homicide Unit. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 513-352-3542.
