ROME, GEORGIA — Last month, Benjamin Tobias Cox Jr., 27, had all charges against him dropped after the evidence in the case showed that he acted in self-defense in a fight that resulted in the death of his father-in-law.
The Rome News-Tribune reports that the fight was borne of a domestic dispute between Cox and his wife in Oct. 2022.
Cox was reportedly taking his wife’s belongings and placing them outside for pickup, and his wife and father-in-law were taking them away.
At some point, an already-tense situation picked up steam and Cox retreated into his home to avoid a physical confrontation with his father-in-law, Kevin Vaughn.
Vaughn was reportedly significantly larger than Cox.
Apparently, video records show that Vaughn followed Cox into his house, Cox warned Vaughn to leave, and Cox defending his life with a pistol.
“Rome Police Department detectives in this case had probable cause to arrest this defendant on Oct. 7, 2022,” Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson said according to the Rome News-Tribune.
“They continued to work the case along with staff in my office. Evidence developed that pointed to Mr. Benjamin Cox having a valid justification defense under several statutes, including self-defense, defense of habitation and the stand your ground statute.”
“After a thorough review of the evidence, including the applicable statutes, the pending charges have been dismissed against Mr. Cox,” she said.
It’s an awful situation, but at the very least we get to see a man in fear for his life live another day.
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