A man arrested for allegedly shooting and killing his neighbor who attacked him in his RV will not face murder charges after the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office decided it fell under self-defense laws, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
Allen Runchey, 57, of San Mateo, allegedly shot and killed Michael Fennell, 57, of San Mateo, in a recreational vehicle storage lot Sunday morning in the area of Fashion Island Boulevard and South Norfolk Street. The incident occurred after Fennell came into Runchey’s RV with a metal object and began swinging it at Runchey and yelling that Runchey needed to leave, the DA’s Office said.
Runchey took out a gun, shot him and then immediately called police at 11:38 a.m. for help. Officers arrived and found Fennell suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest, the San Mateo Police Department said in a news release. Officers provided first aid and CPR before paramedics transported Fennell to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery but died. Prosecutors said both men had ongoing conflict and were RV neighbors for several years, and Fennell lived in his own RV with Runchey’s sister. There were no witnesses to the shooting, and a metal object that could be used as a weapon was found at the scene, the DA’s Office said.
No information is available on why Fennell entered the RV and was swinging the metal object or yelling Runchey needed to leave, according to the DA’s Office.
Officer Michael Haobsh, a spokesman for the San Mateo police, said the police believe an unlawful homicide occurred based on the totality of the circumstances. Haobsh said that while they arrested Runchey for unlawful homicide, the DA’s Office decides what charges are filed.
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Wagstaffe said his office concluded it did not have enough evidence to overturn the presumption of self-defense. Based on the evidence, Wagstaffe believes it was not a close call to decline to prosecute him for unjustified homicide. Wagstaffe said the police were correct in their decision-making, but it only has to find probable cause, while the DA’s Office must find and provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which the evidence didn’t warrant.
Under California law, if you are in someone’s home without consent and attack someone, causing them to fear for their lives, it is presumed to be in self-defense.
Runchey has a felony conviction from 2004 and is not allowed to carry a firearm, leading to charges of a felon in possession of a firearm and a felon in possession of ammunition, the DA’s Office said. He appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty, with the preliminary hearing March 15. His bail is $25,000.
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