The holidays can be a stressful time for many Oregon families. With all of the family gatherings, tensions can run high and lead to disagreements. When these disagreements become physical, serious criminal charges can follow. Just because a fight happens between members of a family, does not mean that Portland police will not get involved if they are notified of the behavior.
In one Portland family, a fight on Christmas Eve has led to felony charges. According to police, a 61-year-old man and his 62-year-old brother got into a fight at some point during the day. While many of the details are unknown, police say that the 62-year-old man shot his brother at some point during the altercation. Police say that they were notified of the shooting by the family's neighbor.
When police arrive, they allege that they found the 61-year-old man with critical injuries. However, the man died at the scene. Therefore, the 62-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder.
Murder charges are some of the most serious felony charges that a person can face. However, there are many different types of murder -- including first degree murder, second degree murder and manslaughter -- and depending on the type of murder a person is charged with the penalties can change significantly.
No matter the type of felonies people are faced with, these people should know that criminal defenses may exist that can reduce or eliminate potential penalties. For example, if the death happened during a course of a fight -- like it did in this case -- the defendant may be able to argue that the person acted in self-defense.
Source: KPTV, "Murder charge: Man accused of killing brother on Christmas Eve," Paul Craig, Dec. 27, 2013
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