Mark Walker

mwalker@argusleader.com

A fatal shooting in Dell Rapids last month followed a fist fight between the victim and suspect, according to court documents.

Alex Wittenberg, 23, faces first- and second-degree manslaughter charges for the death of Jonathan Puttmann, 39, who was shot Nov. 15 on East Ninth Street between LaDelle and Clark Avenues.

According to a search warrant affidavit filed in the case, a witness told investigators that she and Wittenberg were sitting outside the victim’s home with her two children waiting for Puttmann to pick the children up. Puttmann arrived in a gold GMC Yukon, walked over to Wittenberg’s car and let the kids out of the driver’s side rear door.

He then walked up to the driver's side door where Wittenberg was sitting and began hitting him, court documents show.

Previously: Friends, neighbors mourn shooting death of Dell Rapids man

Wittenberg exited the vehicle and the two began fighting in the middle of the street. The witness said she was in the middle of the two men trying to push them away so they would stop fighting. The fight then moved toward the driver's side door of the vehicle.

The witness said she had one hand on Puttmann and another on Wittenberg and asked them to stop fighting. Then she heard a gunshot and Puttmann fell to the ground, court documents say.

Investigators also noted that they found an open alcoholic beverage in the center console of Puttmann’s Yukon.

Wittenberg was arrested on charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter charges. He is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bail.

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