Man charged in fatal shooting that followed argument during barbecue reaches plea deal

MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- 45-year-old Eugene Patterson, charged in connection with a fatal shooting that followed an argument during a barbecue this past spring has reached a plea deal in the case against him.

Eugene Patterson

Patterson on Monday, October 26th pleaded guilty to a felony charge of first degree reckless homicide (amended from first degree intentional homicide) -- and a possession of a firearm by a felon charge has been dismissed as a result of that plea deal.

Patterson will be sentenced on December 18th.

Willie Woods Jr. was the victim in this case. 22-year-old Woods was shot shortly before 8 p.m. in a neighborhood on Milwaukee's northwest side. He died at the scene.

According to the criminal complaint, Patterson and Woods were with several others grilling out on that Sunday evening. Patterson told officers Woods was "making statements that were mumbled and not entirely discernible, though Patterson stated that he took them as being negative or threatening in some way."

The complaint indicates Patterson told Woods to "leave him alone," but Woods "advanced and started to push or point into Patterson's forehead." That's the point when Patterson told investigators he "retrieved the revolver out of his right front pants pocket. He told Woods to back away. Woods nonetheless advanced and Patterson discharged the revolver twice in a downward direction. Two shots struck Woods -- and he later died.