A man charged in the shooting death of a 24-year-old man from Aliquippa will head to trial, but the most serious charge against him was dropped.
Taevaughn Goodnight didn’t respond to Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek as he was taken up to a courtroom for what was going to be his preliminary hearing on Monday morning.
He was arrested nearly two months ago after state police say he shot and killed 24-year-old Gevod Tyson in Aliquippa.
Tyson, also known as Voddy, was well known in Aliquippa.
He coached youth basketball, did public announcing for youth football, and helped found an anti-violence group.
Police said the two men were fighting over a custody dispute with a woman.
According to court documents, Tyson put a gun on the hood of Goodnight’s car before the fight. Police said Goodnight had a gun in his pocket.
Troopers said Tyson knocked Goodnight to the ground, and Goodnight fired one shot behind his back and hit Tyson in the leg.
He later died at the hospital.
Prosecutors on Monday dropped the first-degree murder charge against Goodnight.
“We determined the facts just don’t support a first-degree murder charge,” District Attorney Nate Bible told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek. “Because of that, we have an ethical duty to not pursue something that we don’t think we can prove, so we agreed with the defense counsel to amend the charges to include third-degree, and the two lesser offenses of voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter.”
Without the first-degree murder charge, Goodnight will be able to get out of jail on bond.
“It will include a bracelet where his movement will be monitored, regular check-ins, things like that,” Bible said.
Bible said this is a case of the victim and defendant knowing each other, and said there’s no threat to the community.
“This isn’t a situation, and the judge would’ve agreed, the community is not in danger, based on the situations and the facts that went into this crime,” he said.
Goodnight’s trial is currently set for May.
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