A 29-year-old in Arkansas is claiming he killed his father in self-defense, arguing, "He shot at me first."
Authorities responded to a residence on North Bernice Drive on Sunday morning after 911 dispatchers received a call from Robert Dickson, who said a dispute with his father had turned deadly.
The son allegedly murdered his father in a bedroom closet with a shotgun, claiming he had only returned fire and defended himself.
Dickson told officers the argument had quickly intensified, prompting he and his father both to whip out their firearms.
However, following an investigation, detectives determined there was no evidence from the scene that backed Dickson's version of events and have since charged him with first-degree murder, according to Arkansas Online.
"After a swift and thorough investigation, Dickson was found to have shot the man without legal justification and with a purpose of killing him," police said.
When officers arrived at the scene, they believed the father had been shot at close range and possibly while hiding from his son.
A pistol was discovered in the closet, but bullet holes only show that they traveled through the victim's room into a wall in the stairway.
The suspect stands accused of entering his father's bedroom with the sole intention of killing him.
Dickson continues to maintain his story.
"I grabbed my shotgun and shot back at him. He shot at me first. He was shooting his gun through my door from his room," he reportedly claimed.
The suspect was booked into the Washington County Detention Center on a $750,000 bond and is expected in court for his first appearance on September 18.
