Alexander Co. homeowner claims self-defense in deadly shooting

TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — A homeowner in Alexander County was charged with murder Monday after a deadly shooting on his driveway.

Jason Clary shot Travis Harold in his driveway after neighbors said the two men got into a heated argument, deputies told Channel 9.

Harold died about 5 miles away as his friends tried to drive him to the hospital.

Clary was indicted by a grand jury on May 3.

A neighbor who was outside at the time said he heard only one shot.

Clary is in jail without bond.

Clary said Tuesday morning in a Taylorsville court that the shooting was self-defense. He said Harold and other people were coming at him with pipes.

"I thought we had a right to defend our property and home," Clary said.

Prosecutors said Harold did have an 18-inch pipe, but he was some distance from Clary at the time of the shooting.

Clary didn't deny that he fired his weapon to Channel 9. He said he feared for his life after Harold and two others showed up with metal pipes.

"They had already called me on the phone and told me they were going to kill me," Clary said. "And I come outside and he charged me with a weapon."

Reporter Dave Faherty learned that a cellphone video recorded the murder. It showed that Clary and Harold were about 50 feet apart.

"They weren't face-to-face," Alexander County Chris Bowman said. "They were some distance apart."

Clary’s attorney asked the judge to reduce his bond, saying he is not a flight risk because he owns a business and has a 9-year-old daughter.

Family members of Harold said he had gone to the home to ask Clary to stay away from Harold's nephew because Clary was a bad influence.

"All I can say is my brother did not deserve what happened to him anad he was a good man," his sister Tia Harold said.

When Channel 9 questioned Clary about the use of deadly force and the distance between him and Harold, he said, "When do you make that decision when a man is coming toward you with a weapon.  When you have one shot and there's three men with a weapon."

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