Police: 71-Year-Old Man Fatally Stabs 43-Year-Old Girlfriend After Argument Over Electric Wheelchair

A woman was fatally stabbed by her senior boyfriend after a fight over his electric wheelchair, but he says he killed her in self-defense, Dallas homicide detectives say.

According to police, 71-year-old Robert Coleman admitted to stabbing his 43-year-old girlfriend of four years, Felicia Jones, but also maintained he did so in self-defense after she beat him with a cane.

Coleman told Dallas police that he had let the woman borrow his electric wheelchair to go to the store. The man said the couple then argued after she failed to return the Hoveround in a timely manner, according to the police report.

Police sources told NBC 5 Wednesday that the woman had gone drinking. She wouldn't answer the phone and when she returned late Coleman said he called Jones' mother and told her to come and get her daughter, according to police sources.

That enraged Jones, who police said beat Coleman with a cane and attacked him until he was able to grab a paring knife. During the scuffle he stabbed Jones once.

Coleman had injuries on his back that were consistent with being struck by a cane, police said.

According to police, the couple had been involved in a previous "injury to an elderly" offense where the woman was charged with injuring Coleman. Police said there was a protective order connected to that offense, but that it had expired.

Despite everything, Coleman told NBC 5 that he still loves Jones.

"I can't talk about her because I still love her," Coleman said. "I don't care just because she's gone — I'm not going to say nothing bad about her."

Coleman is free, though the case will be referred to a grand jury to determine whether charges will be filed.

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