Campbell Co. woman will not be charged in deadly self-defense shooting

A Campbell County woman who shot and killed an attacker last week will not be charged, Commonwealth’s Attorney Neil Vener said Wednesday.

“There is no basis for a criminal charge based on all the evidence we have and based on Virginia’s law on self-defense,” Vener said.

Alfred Dews Jr., of Gladys, was found dead at a home on Mohawk Road in the Long Island area of the county on April 15, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Cindy Caldwell said in an earlier interview. Caldwell did not name the woman, saying she was a victim of domestic violence.

Dews’ father, Alfred Dews Sr., identified the shooter as his son’s girlfriend.

Vener said evidence indicated that Dews had cut the phone lines at the woman’s home and had broken down her door. Dews was under a court order to stay away from the woman, he said.

The prosecutor said Virginia’s self-defense law allows a person to use deadly force if — based on circumstances as they appeared at the time to that person — there was a reasonable fear of great bodily harm or death.

Dews was arrested in January on a charge of assault and battery of a family or household member based on an alleged attack in May 2008.