The 31-year-old man accused of shooting and killing a man following a June 26 road-rage incident, told police he fired the gun to protect his friend, according to his arrest affidavit.
On the night of June 26, police received multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting near East Platte Avenue and North Cedar Street.
The affidavit states that when police arrived, they found one man, Matthew Helberg, 39, on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to investigators, Helberg and his fiancé had been driving home from a date when she says Helberg and the male driver of a red vehicle got into a verbal argument regarding the loud music and exhaust system on Helberg’s vehicle. The two men pulled into a parking lot where they exited their vehicles and began an argument that turned physical.
Howard Heyliger, 31, was driving his car, behind his friend’s red car, when he saw his friend pull into the parking lot.
The arrest affidavit indicates that statements given to police by Heyliger and his friend diverge on exactly what happened next, but agree that Helberg threw a few punches, striking the friend.
While the friend said he never felt in any great danger from Helberg, Heyliger told police that due to Helberg’s larger build, he felt “lethal force” was the only option to protect his friend, leading him to fire six shots from his 9 mm handgun toward the man.
Both the friend and Heyliger stayed on the scene until police arrived.
Heyliger faces a charge of second-degree murder. His next court date is July 8.
