Larry Michael Porter, a 44-year-old Black/African American male, was killed on the night of April 2, 2021, after a dispute outside a home in Wilmington’s Brandywine Village neighborhood escalated into a fatal shooting. The confrontation unfolded at 222 West 19th Street, where Porter and his son, Breon Harmon, had gone to address domestic issues involving Porter’s niece and Shaun Irby, who was staying at the Sutton family residence.
What began as an angry verbal exchange quickly turned physical.
According to court records, Porter confronted Irby outside the home while Dean Sutton Jr. stood nearby. Porter was described as angry and yelling, and Sutton asked the group to leave and take the dispute elsewhere. The argument became a fight when Porter swung at Irby, knocked him down, and continued striking him while Irby was on the ground. Sutton then became involved, and Harmon also entered the struggle. A neighbor attempted to break up the fight with mace, but the fighting continued near parked cars on the street.
Sutton, who had a concealed carry permit and was armed that night, later claimed he feared for his life while fighting with Porter and Harmon. During the struggle, Sutton pulled out a gun and fired. Harmon began running away after a shot passed near him, and Sutton fired another round in his direction as he fled. Porter told Sutton to stop, but Sutton turned toward Porter and fired three more shots. Porter was struck by three bullets and died from his injuries.
Police responded at about 9:01 p.m. after a ShotSpotter alert and found Porter wounded at the scene. He was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Investigators collected ballistic evidence and surveillance footage, including video from nearby cameras and a neighbor’s Ring camera. The footage showed the confrontation before the fight, the physical altercation involving Porter and Irby, Sutton and Harmon struggling between cars, Sutton firing the gun, Porter telling him to stop, and Harmon running away after the shooting.
Detective Brandon Mosley led the investigation and identified Dean Sutton Jr. as the suspect. Arrest warrants were obtained, and Sutton was taken into custody on April 13, 2021. At the time of his arrest, Sutton was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was arraigned and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on more than $10 million cash-only bail.
A grand jury indicted Sutton on August 31, 2021, on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. At trial, Sutton admitted that he fired the gun but argued that he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors argued that the shooting went beyond any claim of protection, pointing to the fact that Porter had backed away and said “no” before Sutton fired the fatal shots.
After a four-day jury trial, Sutton was not convicted of first-degree murder. Instead, jurors found him guilty of the lesser-included offenses of manslaughter and first-degree reckless endangering. He was acquitted of the firearm charges. On September 1, 2023, a Superior Court judge sentenced Sutton to a total of 30 years in prison, suspended after 10 years for decreasing levels of supervision.
Sutton appealed his conviction, but the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the judgment on June 20, 2024. The court found no meritorious basis to overturn the case and upheld the manslaughter and reckless endangering convictions. Public reports also noted that Sutton had been involved in another fatal shooting in Newark, Delaware, in November 2020, where he likewise claimed self-defense, though that separate case was described as still under investigation at the time of later reporting.
