Grand jury: No indictment in slaying

An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury declined Wednesday to indict a 28-year-old Baton Rouge man in the May 27 shooting death of an 18-year-old at the Castlebrook Apartments on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard.

The grand jury declined to indict Joshua Clay Birchfield in the slaying of Rashawn Washington.

Sheriff’s officials described the fatal shooting as a drug deal gone bad.

“We’re happy that the District Attorney’s Office allowed us the opportunity to testify” before the grand jury, said Birchfield’s attorney, Beau Brock. “My client was being robbed and acted in self-defense.”

Birchfield was accused of shooting Washington during a fight while Birchfield was buying codeine syrup from Washington, sheriff’s officials said.

Birchfield told detectives that he was in his car when Washington pulled a gun on him. Birchfield said he and Washington struggled over control of the weapon before Birchfield managed to disarm Washington.

Birchfield then exited the car and shot Washington with the gun, sheriff’s officials stated.