Cleveland Police: ‘wife believed to have shot and killed husband’

CLEVELAND, Tennessee (WDEF) – The person who called 911 to report a shooting inside a residence in the 800 block of Sunset Avenue is believed by police to be the same person who pulled the trigger.

Cleveland Police told News 12 they believe James Cheatham died after he was shot by his wife.

The question now is whether or not the shooting was an accident or justifiable homicide.

According to Cleveland Police Spokeswoman Evie West, the victim’s wife called 911 shortly after 6 A.M.

“We got a call that there was a shooting here at 805 Sunset Avenue, so Cleveland officers responded here and found a male laying on floor,” West said.

Cheatham was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to detectives, the fatal shooting was domestic.

“I got on scene about 7:30. The investigators were already here. I know that some people inside the house were at the house when I got here and they were taken to be interviewed,” West said.

Police have identified those interviewees as Cheatham’s wife and teenage son. According to investigators all three were in the home when the gun went off. Investigators also told News 12 they believe the victim’s wife was the person who pulled the trigger.

Because the investigation is still in the preliminary phase, police are being careful how they label the case.

“We don’t really know what happened. Obviously they know somehow or another it was domestic related and it’s fatal. We have to be really careful about the wording of it because it could be justifiable. It could have been an accident,” West said.

News 12 will have more information as it becomes available.