Authorities Say Antioch Shooter Killed Man In Self-Defense
ANTIOCH (CBS SF) -- A man whose body was discovered near an Antioch apartment complex last week was killed in an act of self-defense, according to prosecutors and police.
Police said officers responded to a report of a possible dead body near the entrance to an apartment complex in the 3400 block of Hudson Court around 8 a.m. on Friday.
Officers discovered the man, identified by the Contra Costa County coroner's office as 22-year-old Nyjeah Jenkins, and saw that he had suffered at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jenkins was found with a handgun visible in his pocket, Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Mary Knox said.
Hours later, police arrested 19-year-old Jimmy Rider of Antioch on suspicion of murder in connection with Jenkins's death, Knox said.
Rider was taken to county jail in Martinez, where he was held on $1 million bail.
Since that time, investigators have learned that Rider shot and killed Jenkins in order to defend himself, another person and his property, Knox said.
The prosecutor said high-quality surveillance footage captured at the apartment complex in Antioch where Jenkins was killed on Thursday night led investigators to that conclusion.
"From video footage of the incident that involved three parties, there appeared to be legitimate claims of self-defense," she said.
In addition, she said, Jenkins had an extensive criminal history while Rider has none.
The 19-year-old is expected to be released from jail Tuesday and the district attorney's office is not filing charges against him, Knox said.
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