GRANT TOWNSHIP , Pa., May 27 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania man has been charged with homicide after he allegedly shot and killed his neighbor in Grant Township following an argument about a plate of food.
James Buterbaugh is accused of killing David Ackerson on Sunday night after the two men drank beers together earlier in the day.
Buterbaugh fell asleep inside his pickup truck and Ackerson left for church after the two men finished drinking.
The 59-year-old was awakened when Buterbaugh, 51, returned later with two plates of food that had been prepared by Buterbaugh's mother, Donna Lee Buterbaugh.
After becoming angry at the way that Ackerson mooches off people, Buterbaugh took off and his friend followed. When Buterbaugh told his neighbor to leave or he would shoot him, Ackerson responded, "Go ahead and shoot me." Buterbaugh pulled the trigger and then called 911 to report the incident.
Buterbaugh was charged with homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
"You want to talk about a senseless killing? A plate of food. The defendant alleged that the victim had been mooching food from his mother and that upset him," Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty told WTAE. "The ironic thing was she made a plate of food for the defendant and one for the victim, for some reason that didn't sit well with the defendant."
