Myron Pierce, a 34-year-old African American man, was fatally shot on June 2, 2019, at a Shell gas station on Glenwood Avenue in DeKalb County, Georgia. On that Sunday afternoon, Pierce had been doing yard work for a woman and went with her to the gas station for snacks. While inside the store, an argument erupted between Pierce and another man, 25-year-old Tevin Merriweather.
The confrontation, reportedly over a prior monetary dispute where Pierce accused Merriweather of scamming him, quickly moved to the parking lot and became physical.
Witnesses stated that Pierce began punching Merriweather. In response, Merriweather pulled out a firearm and shot Pierce multiple times. Accounts suggest Merriweather fired as many as 15 to 22 shots, striking Pierce at least five times in the upper chest and lower right side. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, Myron Pierce succumbed to his injuries.
Tevin Merriweather was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with murder. He claimed that he acted in self-defense, stating that Pierce was severely beating him. Despite this claim, a judge denied him bond, and he was held at the DeKalb County Jail. The case caused significant emotional distress for Pierce's family. During a court hearing, Pierce's 15-year-old daughter was overcome with emotion and lunged at Merriweather, shouting, 'Why did you kill my daddy?' before being restrained and removed from the courtroom. His cousin described the killing as being 'hunted down like an animal' and called for a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
