19-year-old sees stepdad choking his mom and fatally shoots him, TN cops say

A 19-year-old walked in on his stepfather choking his mother, then he shot and killed the man, Tennessee police said.

Now the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said officers are investigating the 19-year-old’s self-defense claim.

Detectives said they learned the mom’s husband, identified as 36-year-old Jose Danilo Rodas, had physically abused her in the past, and the woman had discussed the abuse with her son.

“This afternoon, Rodas reportedly engaged in a physical argument with his wife in their bedroom, during which she said he grabbed her by the face, placed both hands around her neck and choked her until she almost lost consciousness,” police wrote in a news release dated Sept. 14.

The 19-year-old, who wasn’t facing charges as of Sept. 16, told detectives that he got back to his family’s apartment that afternoon when he heard screaming coming from the bedroom, according to officers.

He recounted entering the bedroom and seeing his mother’s husband with his hands around her neck, according to officers.

The 19-year-old said Rodas saw him and started moving toward him, prompting the 19-year-old to pull out a pistol and shoot him, police said.

He told investigators he feared for his safety and his mom’s, according to officers.

The mom called 911, and Rodas was transported to a hospital, where he died, according to investigators.

Detectives said they saw “hand marks, bruising and nail lacerations” on the woman’s neck.

The investigation is ongoing.