In the summer of 2020, the life of 37-year-old Khamarl Mahs, a Black male, was cut short in a violent encounter in Portsmouth, Virginia. On the morning of July 15th, emergency dispatchers received a call about a shooting at the Hodges Manor Apartments on Cherokee Road. When police arrived shortly before 8:25 a.m., they discovered Mahs inside an apartment, suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. He died at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to a suspect.
That same day, police arrested 25-year-old Javon J. Simms. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The events leading up to the fatal shooting were described as a confrontation rooted in a monetary dispute. Mahs had reportedly entered the apartment, where Simms's girlfriend and their 11-month-old child were present, claiming the girlfriend owed him money.
The case proceeded to trial, where the complexities of the situation came to light. Simms claimed that he acted in self-defense. According to his testimony, Mahs entered the apartment unannounced and became confrontational, refusing to leave until he was paid. Simms stated that Mahs reached for a gun, prompting him to shoot Mahs seven times. When police found Mahs's body, he had a gun in his waistband and cash in his hand; it was later determined that the firearm was unloaded.
Simms's defense attorney argued that his client's actions were justified under the 'castle doctrine,' a legal principle that allows for the use of deadly force to protect oneself from an intruder in one's home. The judge ultimately accepted this defense, ruling that Simms had acted in self-defense given the circumstances of Mahs entering the apartment uninvited and appearing to reach for a weapon. As a result, Javon J. Simms was acquitted of all charges in the death of Khamarl Mahs.
