On a Sunday evening in September 2017, a dispute that began on a basketball court at Big Oak Park in Augusta, Georgia, tragically ended the life of 22-year-old Malcolm Quarterman. An African American male, Quarterman was involved in a physical confrontation with another man, 25-year-old Tyedon Burton, during a game. The conflict escalated after the game concluded when Quarterman approached and punched Burton, inflicting injuries that would later require surgery.
In the moments that followed, Burton fired two shots at Quarterman.
Struck by at least one bullet, Quarterman was rushed to Doctors Hospital for medical attention. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries the following night, on September 17, 2017. The Richmond County Coroner's Office confirmed his death, and an autopsy was scheduled with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to determine the precise cause. The investigation into the shooting quickly identified Tyedon Burton as the individual responsible for firing the weapon.
Burton was arrested and subsequently faced charges of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. During his trial, the prosecution and defense presented conflicting narratives of the moments that led to the fatal shooting. Burton's defense team argued that his actions were born out of self-defense, stating that he was in fear for his life as Quarterman continued to be aggressive and advance toward him. Surveillance footage from a nearby establishment captured the physical altercation and the shooting, though it lacked audio. Burton testified in his own defense, maintaining that he acted to protect himself from an ongoing assault. The weapon used in the shooting was never located and recovered by law enforcement.
In June of 2019, after deliberating the evidence presented, a jury acquitted Tyedon Burton of the murder charge. The jury accepted his claim of self-defense, finding him not guilty. Despite the acquittal in Quarterman's death, Burton was not a free man; he remained in custody to face other, unrelated charges that had been filed against him while he was incarcerated.
