Family brawl lands Raleigh man in jail, woman in hospital

Jaquan Deandre Avery-Kennedy, 21, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, assault on a female and battery of an unborn child. His bond was set at $250,000.

Wake County Assistant District Attorney Anna Davis said Avery-Kennedy punched and hit Diarra Patterson outside his mother's home, at 7040 Barlows Knoll St. Patterson, 21, is seven months pregnant with Avery-Kennedy's child.

During the altercation, Patterson's aunt, Torri Boyd, tried to intervene and help her niece, but Avery-Kennedy shot her in the neck, the prosecutor said.

But Avery-Kennedy's mother provided a different version of the events. She said her son and Patterson have been staying at her home with their children, ages 4 and 1, and got into a fight, and Patterson called her aunt for back-up.

Boyd, 38, then showed up at the house with other family members, and she and Patterson then attacked Avery-Kennedy, according to Sharon Avery. The two women were on top of Avery-Kennedy, and he was yelling for them to stop hitting him, his mother said.

"They stopped tussling, and (Boyd) came back at him again, and that's when the gun just went off and just shot her," Avery said. "I ran to my truck. I got a towel, put it up under her. I was just praying the whole time that she would make it. My son didn't mean to do this. He has a mental illness."

A witness who asked not to be identified said she ran to Boyd's aid, putting pressure on her wound until paramedics arrived.

"In the midst of holding pressure, I was talking to her and praying and asking God to spare her life. Let this be a lesson and not the end for her," the witness said.

Patterson was treated at WakeMed and released, while Boyd was listed in good condition Thursday at the hospital.

"I am sorry for the victim, what happened. I'm just glad she made it," Avery said. "I just want help for my son and see my grandkids be put somewhere safe and where I know they're safe."

Davis said Avery-Kennedy has previous convictions for assault, discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling and felony possession of a handgun. A 2014 charge of assaulting Patterson was dismissed, the prosecutor said, and he has a pending charge of threatening his mother.