GRAND FORKS, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – A Grand Forks man accused of shooting another man on a basketball court is speaking out, claiming he was defending his family.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, at the Abbott Sports Complex across from Purper Arena.
“I got my family beside me,” said 24-year-old Allen Little, minutes after his first-ever courtroom appearance.
The father of three moved to Grand Forks six years ago to attend barber school. “He is a wonderful kid. He did not come to Grand Forks to bring any kind of trouble. He is just here to have a better life and become a better man,” said his mother Laquita Mosley.
Police say Little shot 25-year-old Demarco Brown during a crowded basketball game. Brown, hit below the waist, is expected to recover. Witnesses reported that a verbal altercation escalated to a physical fight. “The defendant, at first, had pistol-whipped this individual and then went out to his vehicle, brought it back to the basketball court, and then shot the victim. There’s about 20 witnesses, and the crime is on video,” said Grand Forks County Assistant State’s Attorney Carmell Mattison.
Little, who has a conceal and carry permit, is charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. “I just felt like I had to defend myself and my family to the best of my ability at all costs,” Little said.
Police are reviewing multiple video angles to assess the self-defense claim. “It’s too early to say one way or the other,” said Lieutenant Andy Stein with the Grand Forks Police Department.
Little is being held on $50,000 bail and is due back in court in July.