GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A man who fatally shot his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend during a confrontation inside a Northeast Side home was justified in using deadly force, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker determined.
Adam Andrew Whitz was shot once in the chest after entering the home of his ex-girlfriend, despite being told several times to leave.
The woman and her current boyfriend, Matthew Jakubowski, were watching TV and drinking when Whitz showed up and “started banging on the front door and windows of the home, demanding to be let in,’’ Becker wrote.
Whitz was shot once in the upper right chest after the front door was opened and he pushed his way inside, Becker wrote in a four-page opinion in which he ruled the Jan. 8 shooting to be justified.
“From the evidence we have at this time, Mr. Whitz was committing the crime of home invasion first degree,’’ Becker wrote. “He entered the home without permission. It had been made abundantly clear to him that he was not welcome in the home when he was yelling from outside on the porch.’’
Whitz, 51, who has a history of violent behavior, died at the scene of the 2:20 a.m. shooting on Houseman Avenue NE south of Flat Street. It was the city’s second deadly shooting of 2020.
Whitz stood outside banging on the front door and windows, demanding to be let in. He was told to leave and shown a gun in an attempt to make him leave, to no avail, Becker wrote.
The fact that the ex-girlfriend, Anastasia Hahn, opened the front door did not give Whitz permission to enter the house, Becker wrote. “In fact, she told police he ‘pushed’ his way inside,’’ Becker wrote. “This is not an entry with permission.
“There is also evidence that he intended to commit an assault before he entered; Mr. Whitz clearly was trying to get Mr. Jakubowski outside to fight, threatening to harm him and Ms. Hahn while he was on the porch,’’ Becker wrote.
The threats continued once he rushed inside the house; Whitz threw the first punch at Jakubowski. Whitz, Becker determined, committed the crime of first-degree home invasion before being shot.
“The evidence we have is that Mr. Whitz made statements that he was going to kill Mr. Jakubowski (and) harm Ms. Hahn as well,’’ Becker wrote. “The two of them indicate they purchased a gun due to the similar behavior of Mr. Whitz in the past, that made them fearful of what he might do.’’
Hahn told police that Whitz had assaulted her in the past; Jakubowski knew of this past violent conduct, Becker wrote.
“The actions of Mr. Jakubowski were reasonable because he felt he was going to be killed or seriously harmed that night when Mr. Whitz pushed his (way) inside,’’ Becker wrote.
"We will not be filing any criminal charges out of this event,'' Becker concluded.
RELATED VIDEO:
MORE NEWS on 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
- Kent County court suspends all trials until mid-April due to coronavirus
- $1,000 reward offered for tips leading to arrest in deadly Kalamazoo parking lot shooting
- Muskegon Police: Recent vehicle break-ins involve unlocked cars
- Jail inmates get stepped-up screenings, possible early release, as pandemic grows
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.