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Stepfather Charged in Shooting Death of Chesterfield Teen

A Chesterfield County man charged early yesterday in the fatal shooting of his stepson during a family dispute had been involved in a confrontation with the teen last year, police said.

Peter Simpson, 55, was charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Devon Mason, 19.

Police said the teen was shot when he tried to separate his mother from her husband, Simpson, during a clash inside the family's home.

Chesterfield police Capt. Terry Patterson said the gun belonged to Simpson.

The family lives in the 7800 block of Flag Tail Drive in the Triple Crown subdivision off Hull Street Road, a short distance from Clover Hill High School. Mason was a 2008 graduate of Manchester High School, a school spokesman confirmed.

Last spring, police were called to the home for an altercation between Simpson and Mason, but "apparently whatever took place was mutual" and neither was charged, Patterson said.

"There wasn't probable cause for the officers to arrest anyone," Patterson said. "So both were advised of the [legal] action they could take. Apparently neither chose to take any action against the other."

Patterson said Mason had lived in the home with his mother and Simpson for some time.

In addition to murder, Patterson was charged with felonious use of a firearm and domestic assault. He was to have been arraigned on those charges yesterday afternoon, but a mix-up caused the hearing to be postponed until this morning.

The killing was Chesterfield's first homicide of the year. The county ended 2009 with only two slayings, its lowest count since 1988.

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