Tyler man pleads to lesser charge in 2020 killing

TYLER – A Tyler man originally charged with murder in a 2020 shooting after a fight at a party pleaded down to a lesser charge on Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, 23-year-old Tommy Pettigrew was charged with killing 39-year-old Christopher Bolden outside after a fight between them at Pettigrew’s house. Pettigrew agreed to a plea deal that dropped the charge down to criminally negligent homicide, which normally carries a maximum jail time of just two years. However, because a deadly weapon was used, it is punished as a third-degree felony, which bumps the maximum sentence to 10 years under Texas law. That’s the sentence handed to Pettigrew as part of the plea deal.