Complaint: Woman charged in north side homicide claimed man punched her before shooting

MADISON, Wis. -- A woman accused of shooting and killing a man on Madison's north side last week claimed the man punched her prior to the shooting, court documents allege.

Tamar Briana Beasley, 27, of Madison is charged with first-degree intentional homicide stemming from an April 10 shooting at an apartment complex in the 1900 block of Northport Drive. A 31-year-old man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries after the shooting and later died. An autopsy found that he died of a gunshot wound to the torso.

According to a criminal complaint filed on April 12, when officers first arrived on the scene Beasley and another woman claimed that the shooter had left the area. Beasley said the victim was the father of her child. Neither woman offered any more information about the shooter.

During their investigation, officers determined that Beasley may have been involved in the shooting because of her reluctance to share any more info on the shooter. According to the complaint, a witness later reported that the shooter was a woman named "Brianna" and gave a phone number for the shooter that matched Beasley's.

Detectives were able to view surveillance video from the apartment complex which captured the shooting as well as the moments leading up to it.

The complaint alleges that Beasley and the 31-year-old man can be seen getting into an argument. The two can be seen bumping chests, and Beasley allegedly can be seen swinging her arm at the man as he backs away.

Beasley, at one point, is seen dropping a small backpack to the ground, at which point bystanders in the area begin to run away. She and the man allegedly continue shoving back-and-forth until the man can be seen doubling over. Two men then walk the man away from Beasley, but she is seen following after them. The complaint alleges that Beasley can be seen holding a gun.

Detectives took Beasley into custody near her home on the night of the shooting. While speaking to detectives, she allegedly admitted to shooting the man.

According to the complaint, she said that she and the man were arguing when things became physical. She said she was trying to get around the man but he was pushing her.

Beasley allegedly said that during the altercation she took out a gun and fired it into the air. She said the man kept pushing her while she was firing the shot, then hit her twice in the left eye immediately afterwards. Beasley allegedly said she shot the man after the punches were thrown.

According to the complaint, Beasley said she did not fear for her life or great bodily harm before she shot, but thought that the man would have punched her again if the weapon wasn't present.

She allegedly said that she wasn't going to let the man beat her up, so she pulled out the gun. She claimed she dropped the gun at the scene.

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