Lashawn Denise Bagley (left) shot and killed her on-and-off boyfriend Demetrius Omar Lateef Allen, who was known professionally as bull rider Ouncie Mitchell. (Mugshot of Bagley via Fort Bend County Jail; screenshot of Mitchell via Professional Bull Riders)
A Utah judge on Wednesday dismissed murder and other charges against a woman who shot and killed her bull-rider boyfriend, according to Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL.
“She was justified in shooting the gun,” 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris reportedly said about the defendant, Lashawn Denise Bagley, 23.
As previously reported, Salt Lake City cops said she shot and killed her “on and off” boyfriend, Demetrius Omar Lateef Allen, 27. a professional bull rider.
Bagley called 911 just after midnight on Sept. 12, 2022.
At the time, cops said they found Allen outside the apartment. He was suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Cops provided emergency medical care, but he died at a hospital.
Police spotted multiple bullet holes coming from an apartment. They took Bagley into custody.
Investigators said they determined Allen and Bagley did not just know one another — they were in a relationship.
In a statement, police said detectives believed Allen came to Salt Lake City to attend the Utah State Fair and arranged to stay with Bagley. After attending the fair, Allen and Bagley went to a downtown bar where they got into an argument, authorities said. Allen went to Bagley’s apartment to get his property when shots were fired, police said.
It was an “on and off” relationship, police said in documents obtained by KSTU.
“These two, we believe knew each other, they had attended the fair and then ended up at a bar and ended up arguing,” police Detective Michelle Peterson reportedly said. “Then the male wanted to get some of his property from the apartment that he was staying in, while he was attending the fair and a gun was pulled out and he was shot.”
There was no evidence to show Allen was inside the apartment when shot, cops said. Blood was outside the apartment, officers said. There were allegedly no signs of forced entry or attempted forced entry.
“The witness also stated that there was no entry or attempted forced entry into the apartment,” officers said.
Testimony in a hearing on Wednesday said, however, that Allen was trying to enter the apartment with another woman in order to get his possessions.
This second woman allegedly attempted to use a credit card to make her way inside. When she failed, Allen grabbed a rock and said, “I’m from Houston. We can get in,” according to testimony.
Prosecutor Andrew Deesing asserted that Bagley lacked “reasonable fear.” Texts between Bagley and Allen within the hour before the 911 call reportedly showed Allen stating he wanted to grab his possessions from the apartment.
Allen had been staying there, and Bagley could have put his items on the front porch, he said.
Defense lawyer Sherry Valdez said self-defense is presumably reasonable in light of the break-in.
“She had every right to protect herself in her own house,” she said.
In Kouris’ ruling, what mattered was only that Bagley knew about a break-in — not who committed it. He reportedly said it was not reasonable for a person to break a window with a rock after leaving something in the home.
No evidence showed that Bagley read the texts in which Allen requested his possessions, and none showed that she knew it was him at the door.
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