Man allegedly shot former roommate in Mesa

MESA, AZ (AZFamily) – A man is in custody for allegedly shooting his former roommate during a fight on Sunday evening.

Jason Andrew Greene, 51, is charged in the shooting death of a man in his 40s. The victim's name has not been released.

Around 8 p.m., Mesa police were called to a home near Brown Road and Greenfield Road for a possible shots fired and learned that Greene had reportedly shot a man inside his home.

Greene was arrested at the scene and, according to court documents, told police that he was attacked at his front door by a man he did not know, but eventually let him in. Greene claimed that the man suddenly attacked him, grabbed his gun and shot him in the chest. He panicked and ran to a neighbor's house, who called 911.

According to court documents, officers found a man shot in the hallway of Greene's home. The man died at the scene.

Officers noticed that Greene appeared to be drunk. According to court documents, Greene had consumed about half a bottle of vodka. Police said he had watery, bloodshot eyes, a flushed face and slurred speech.

Police interviewed witnesses and the 911 callers who said they had known Greene since 2013. According to court documents, Greene told neighbors he was “going to die” and that someone had been shot in that house. The couple did not know if Greene was telling the truth and told police he was known to be drunk on a regular basis.

The couple followed Greene back to his house, where they saw a man lying in the hallway with a backpack, struggling to breathe. There appeared to be blood on his chest, and a rifle lying nearby.

According to police, the couple said Greene told them about three weeks ago that someone was living with him in his house.

According to court documents, neighbors provided police with surveillance video showing the man walking up to Greene's house and yelling at him to open the door to get his things. Another witness said he heard a man yelling and banging on the door, mentioning someone's father and saying to open the door and they just wanted their clothes.

When questioned by police, Greene claimed he did not know the man and shot him after he forced his way into his home.

However, Greene soon admitted that he knew the man and that the victim had been living with him for two weeks. He said the victim had a key to the back door and the bedroom.

Greene said he left his former roommate's belongings outside his home near the front door on Sunday and put sticky notes on them saying he did not appreciate the victim slandering his father.

Greene allegedly admitted that he heard the victim banging on his front door and saying he didn't want him there, at which point they began arguing about his father. According to court documents, this made Greene angry, at which point he closed the door and got his 9mm rifle from the bedroom to get the victim to leave.

The documents state that Greene told police the roommate came toward him with open hands as Greene pointed the gun at the man and then turned it on himself. Greene claimed the victim said he was going to kill him as they walked back into a hallway of the house. A struggle then broke out between the two; Greene said the man grabbed his gun and they struggled before he regained control and shot his former roommate in the chest.

According to court documents, Greene lied about being afraid of the incident because he knew his roommate. Police asked if it was reasonable for Greene to pull out his gun during the fight, and he said it was not reasonable and was stupid.

Greene was booked into the Mesa City Jail and faces manslaughter charges.

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