LA PLATA, Md. (AP) — A quadruple amputee professional cornhole player said Wednesday he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed a passenger in his Tesla during a heated argument.
Dayton James Webber, 27, appeared via video conference Wednesday in Charles County District Court for a bail review, where Judge Patrick Devine noted that he left Maryland after the March 22 shooting of Bradrick Michael Wells, 27, and ordered Webber to remain jailed without bail.
Webb, who was extradited from Virginia and charged with first- and second-degree murder, has not yet entered a plea and will have a preliminary hearing in court on May 6. He also faces assault and gun charges.
Defense lawyer Andrew Jezik told the court Webber acted in self-defence and he expected a “lengthy trial” to prove this.
After the hearing, Jezik told reporters his client was “scared.”
“The fact is, had he not taken immediate action to protect his life, he would have been the victim of a murder,” Jezik said.
Webber’s family declined to comment after the hearing.
Police charging documents show Webb’s leg was amputated to save his life when he was 10 months old due to a severe blood infection. Weber is accused of shooting Waldorf’s Wells twice in the head during an argument.
Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell said witnesses in the car told authorities the argument started over a friend of Wells’s stealing a gun from Webb, who was upset that Wells was still a friend of the thief.
She said Weber and Wells had a history of arguments, including an incident in 2024 when Weber ordered Wells to leave his home. As Wells left, Mitchell said Webb fired one shot from a second-story window. Jezik said Weber fired into the air.
In arguing that Webb should remain in custody, Mitchell noted that he drove to Virginia after the shooting and was in possession of a gun.
Authorities have not said publicly whether the vehicle’s cameras at the time of the shooting captured what happened, or whether the Tesla was using Autopilot.
According to charging documents, Webb pulled over after a shooting in La Plata, Maryland, and asked two backseat passengers to help pull the victim out, but they refused, got out and waved to police.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office said the victim was still in the vehicle when Webb ran away. Two hours later, a resident of Charlotte Hall, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away, discovered Wells’ body in a roadside yard and notified police.
Detectives located Webb’s car in Charlottesville, Virginia, and found Webb at a hospital where he was “seeking treatment for a medical issue,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
In 2023, ESPN featured Webb in an inspirational story, noting that he rode dirt bikes, wrestled and played football before becoming a professional cornhole athlete. That same year, he wrote an article for the “Today” show about how he turned pro. He said he learned to grab the bean bag by its corners and throw it with his amputated arm.
A YouTube video posted two years ago shows Weber loading and firing a pistol.