After 5-Year Legal Battle, Case Ruled Self-Defense In Family Shooting

NOVATO, CALIFORNIA — A shooting occurred just after 2 AM on November 25^th, 2017 and when police arrived, they found Dean Paraskeva suffering from a gunshot wound.  He was transported to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where he recovered from his wounds.

Paraskeva claimed that he had been up with his stepfather, William Bradley (84 years old), talking in the living room.  Paraskeva claimed that Bradley left the room and came back with a revolver, shooting him for no reason.  Paraskeva had originally reported that Bradley used both a shotgun and a revolver, but later changed his story.

County prosecutors charged Bradley with Attempted Murder, and Assault with a Firearm Causing Great Bodily Injury.  Within a month, however, the Attempted Murder count was dropped.

Bradley maintained that he was attacked in the living room by Paraskeva, who attempted to choke him.  Bradley said that he broke free and retreated to the master bedroom, where his wife (Paraskeva’s mother) was sleeping.  When Paraskeva pursued him into the bedroom, Bradley claimed he then fired in self-defense.

The defense team presented evidence that Paraskeva was highly intoxicated at the time of the shooting and that he lied about the original scene to try and defeat forensic evidence that proved that the shooting occurred in the bedroom. 

The case was set to go to trial in 2020, but Coronavirus restrictions prevented the case from being heard, so Bradley was in legal limbo for two additional years.  Bradley was free on bond during this time.

After being presented with the defense’s evidence, the county prosecutors then decided to drop the case in August of 2022.