A 36-year-old man charged with the murder of a 23-year-old man in a Hartford liquor store on Wednesday night is being held on $2 million bond and claimed self defense.
Police said the suspect, Paul Hunter, 36, of the Broad Brook section of East Windsor, and Alford Grayson, 23, of Hartford had gotten into a fight over a female in Blue's Package Store, at 139 Barbour Street, around 7 p.m.
Grayson was stabbed in the chest with a knife outside the store and transported to the emergency room at Saint Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10 p.m.
When officers chased Hunter down as he ran from the scene and took him into custody, he was still holding the knife, police said.
During an interview with police, Hunter said he was talking to a girl two weeks ago on Judson Street and Grayson wanted to fight him after that, according to police documents.
On Wednesday night, the two men were in the liquor store and Grayson started "trash talking," Hunter told police. Then they two men got into a fight, with Grayson throwing a punch and Hunter blocking it, Hunter told police.
He admitted to choking and punching Grayson until someone else got into the middle of the fight, according to police.
U.S. & World
Then he said he "must have" pulled out a knife and "guess(es) he stabbed Alford Grayson," according to police.
Hunter has been charged with murder and Grayson's death is the city's 12th homicide of the year.
Hunter was arrested on Wednesday night and charged with murder, interfering with police, carrying a dangerous weapon and assault on police. His bond was set at $1.5 million.
This was the second Hartford homicide of the day and the third act of violence in 24 hours.
