Chester man shot his son to death during an argument over a car, police say
Adolphus Smith, 48, was charged with murder after prosecutors say he gunned down his son at point-blank range.
In the heat of an argument over a car, Adolphus Dwayne Smith pulled out a gun and shot his son at point-blank range, prosecutors said Wednesday, leaving him with fatal injuries.
Smith, 48, was arrested late Monday and charged with first- and third-degree murder, as well as possession of an instrument of a crime, court records show. He remained in custody Wednesday, denied bail due to the nature of the charges he faces. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.
Chester police had been searching for Smith since Feb. 15, the day that his son, Rashad Sabree, was shot dead in an alley outside Smith’s home on E. 22nd St., according to Police Commissioner Steven Gretzky.
“It is inconceivable to think that a father could take his own son’s life,” Gretzky said. “As with any murder victim, this is a complete tragedy for the family, and we will seek certain justice.”
Sabree, 20, was at his father’s house with a friend when they learned that the friend’s vehicle had been damaged, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Smith’s arrest.
The three went to investigate, and an argument broke out between Smith and Sabree, the affidavit said. It was unclear what specifically the father and son were arguing about.
The friend, meanwhile, went back inside the house and soon heard several gunshots, the document said.
Sabree then knocked on the door, asking to be let in and screaming “I’m shot,” the affidavit said. Medics took him to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where he later died from gunshot wounds to his left arm and clavicle.