Reginald Butler a/k/a Reginald Tyrone Butler v. State of Mississippi

── Reginald Butler a/k/a Reginald Tyrone Butler v. State of Mississippi ── Court: Court of Appeals of Mississippi Date: May 19, 2026 Category: General IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI NO. 2024-KA-00747-COA REGINALD BUTLER A/K/A REGINALD APPELLANT TYRONE BUTLER v. STATE OF MISSISSIPPI APPELLEE DATE OF JUDGMENT: 06/13/2024 TRIAL JUDGE: HON. DEBRA W. BLACKWELL COURT FROM WHICH APPEALED: ADAMS COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: OFFICE OF STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER BY: AMBER LAUREN STEWART ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE: OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BY: BARBARA WAKELAND BYRD DISTRICT ATTORNEY: TIM COTTON NATURE OF THE CASE: CRIMINAL - FELONY DISPOSITION: AFFIRMED - 05/19/2026 MOTION FOR REHEARING FILED: BEFORE WILSON, P.J., McDONALD AND McCARTY, JJ. McCARTY, J., FOR THE COURT: ¶1. An argument among a group of men in a parking lot boiled over into a deadly shooting. One of the men was indicted for second-degree murder. At trial, he took the stand and claimed self-defense. However, the evidence showed that the victim was shot twice from behind. The jury also saw a video where the shooter bragged about killing the victim. ¶2. The jury found the man guilty of manslaughter and he now appeals. Finding no error, we affirm. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY ¶3. After getting off work on December 17, 2020, Reginald Butler picked up his younger brother to get a haircut and to go Christmas shopping. While en route to the barber shop, they spotted Butler’s friend, Tyron “Puff” Thomas. The two brothers tailed Puff to an empty lot known as the “living room,” where they liked to hang out. Butler and Puff parked their cars side by side in the lot and Puff got into the backseat of Butler’s car. The three men began to talk and smoke. ¶4. As the group hung out, a third car pulled into the lot directly behind them. Armed with a gun at his hip, Tyran “Tigger” Newman got out of the car and walked up to Butler’s window, asking if he had seen Puff. ¶5. Puff got out of Butler’s car and walked with Tigger to the rear to talk as a fourth car pulled into the lot. ¶6. Concerned something was about to happen, Butler grabbed a gun from the glove compartment and told his brother to get out. As the brothers got out, Eligriel “Fester” White and Bralon James stepped out of the fourth car and approached the group of men. ¶7. A heated verbal altercation then broke out between James and Puff over money. When Puff could not produce the money owed, James attempted to take Puff’s gun at gunpoint as collateral. Puff refused and the argument became physical, spilling out into the street as the two wrestled on the ground. ¶8. After “dumping” James onto his head, Puff broke free from the fight and ran away in a zig-zag pattern to avoid being shot. James then turned his attention to Butler. ¶9. James approached Butler aggressively asking him “what that sh*t you were saying?” 2 According to Butler, James was armed. The two began to exchange words and then Butler shot James. After several shots had been fired, Butler ran into the woods with his younger brother. ¶10. Natchez Police responded to the scene within minutes and secured the area while James lay lifeless on the ground with a gun beside him. As detectives processed the scene “they found six gold shell casings, two spent cartridges, and a bullet fragment.” ¶11. Several hours after the shooting, Butler turned himself in to police. He claimed he had shot James in self-defense. ¶12. During his video interview with police, Butler explained he was scared of James. ¶13. Two months prior to the shooting, Butler said his gu