Police Report: Son Allegedly Kills Father Over Job Dispute

In a tragic incident unfolding in Florida, a young man is facing charges of murder after allegedly shooting his father over ongoing disputes about employment and financial responsibilities, according to local authorities.

Melquan Stewart, 25, was arrested and charged with murder following the deadly confrontation in Port Charlotte, a community situated approximately 95 miles from Tampa. Court documents provide chilling details of the event that occurred on a seemingly ordinary Monday.

As outlined in a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the altercation began when Glenn Stewart, identified by local media including CBS affiliate WINK, visited his son’s home. The father sought confirmation that Melquan was making progress on his military documentation, amidst his ongoing encouragement for his son to secure employment and pay his own rent—expenses that Glenn had covered for the past four months.

The situation escalated when Melquan, after placing his bag in the rear passenger seat of his father’s Volkswagen Taos SUV, claimed he began hearing voices instructing him to shoot. This unsettling internal dialogue, as documented, was not new to Melquan, though he confessed that it was the first time he acted upon it.

With a Ruger LC9 handgun, Melquan fired through the rolled-down front passenger window, fatally striking his father. This act of violence has left the Port Charlotte community in shock and raised questions about mental health and familial pressures.

This was not the first time Melquan Stewart had heard voices, he later told authorities. However, he noted that this was the first time that he listened to them, and he “began shooting the victim through the rolled down front passenger window” with his Ruger LC9 handgun, according to the affidavit.

As Melquan Stewart reportedly shot his father six times, the older man put his vehicle in reverse in an attempt to get away. The defendant subsequently ran over, “pulled the victim from the vehicle and placed him on the driveway, where he shot him one more time and then placed his arms over his chest and told him that he loved him.”

The defendant then got into the SUV and set his navigation to direct him to Miami. However, he had a change of heart and “decided he wanted to go back,” according to the affidavit.

Law enforcement officers were already at the scene — after 911 callers had reported seeing someone “pulling another subject out from a vehicle,” followed by gunshots, and that there was “someone in the driveway bleeding.” Glenn Stewart had gunshot wounds largely on the right side of his body and there was “apparent blood” surrounding him. He was brought to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

As Melquan Stewart approached officers, he “was observed to have apparent blood on his person,” authorities said. He reportedly told them he was “coming to turn himself in and mentioned the voices in his head.” He was detained.

Law enforcement also found suspected blood stains on the outside and inside of the SUV, as well as a black semiautomatic handgun “in plain view” on the front passenger floorboard, the affidavit noted.

The defendant had his first court appearance on Monday, and he is scheduled for a criminal hearing on Thursday. He is being held without bond.