Sheriff: West side Evansville shooting was self-defense

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - A shooting at a home on the west side of Evansville was self-defense, according to the sheriff.

It happened just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday on Key West Drive and Largo Court.

According to the sheriff office, the shooting happened after a domestic dispute between three family members escalated. The sheriff's office says a woman called 911 and told dispatchers she had been attacked by her son, 21-year-old Matthew Scott Uloth, and that her husband, Jon Scott Uloth, had him at gunpoint.

Deputies were dispatched and the woman was asked to remain on the line and just before the deputies got there, gunshots were heard on the call. The sheriff's office says had Matthew charged his father who then shot him out of fear for his and his wife's safety.

When deputies arrived, they went into the home and found Matthew and Jon still fighting each other. The sheriff's office says at that point Matthew charged a deputy and punched him in the jaw.

The deputies were eventually able to get Matthew under control and determined that he had two apparent gunshot wounds, one to the right shoulder and the other to the abdomen.

Matthew was then taken to Deaconess Hospital for treatment.

During their investigation detectives were told that Matthew had been acting increasingly strange in recent days and had possibly taken some kind of drug before he attacked his parents.

"At this point we're not sure whether if he was suffering some mental illness or if there was some drug abuse going on," Sheriff Dave Wedding told us. "We know he wasn't his normal self, according to his parents. Anybody who takes a couple of rounds from a handgun and is still capable of fighting, leads us to believe he has some serious issues going on."

No charges have been filed at this time and the sheriff's office says it appears that the shooting was justified, but the investigation is ongoing.

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