‘Love you yaya’: Son who blasted dad after spending the day attempting to cease him from drunk driving warned grandma he would ‘defend’ himself, police say

A Wyoming man charged with killing his father tried to have his case dismissed, citing self-defense. The choose didn’t agree, however he could get one other likelihood to persuade a jury.

Ethan Grasse, 23, is charged with second-degree homicide in reference to the loss of life of his father, 49-year-old Michael Grasse, who was fatally shot in November 2025. In response to reporting by native information outlet Cowboy State Day by day, Ethan Grasse and his public defender offered the self-defense case within the Uinta County District Court docket on Tuesday. Ethan Grasse claimed that on the day earlier than the taking pictures, his father was consuming closely and making threats to bodily hurt him.

The youthful man reportedly went so far as shopping for a locking doorknob for his bed room door so his father couldn’t are available in with out permission.

In response to court docket paperwork obtained by Cowboy State Day by day, Michael Grasse was “consuming closely” on Nov. 21, 2025, when he advised his son that he needed to exit to get meals. Ethan Grasse drove his father to a restaurant to choose up meals they usually each got here again dwelling. The son parked his automobile behind his father’s automobile so he wouldn’t be capable to drive whereas in an intoxicated state.

Michael Grasse later went exterior and began shifting trash cans round so he might drive his automobile round his son’s. Ethan Grasse heard what he was doing and got here exterior to inform his father that he would name the police if he obtained behind the wheel. The daddy then “bodily attacked” his son, and the struggle ended after Michael Grasse’s mom intervened.

Police stated Ethan Grasse left the house and went to a buddy’s home to get away for some time and attempt to discover one other place to remain for the evening. When he was unable to search out one other place, he went to Walmart and purchased a locking doorknob for his bed room. Ethan Grasse reportedly returned dwelling to search out his father handed out drunk on the sofa.

In response to the court docket paperwork, Ethan Grasse took his father’s keys and cellphone, then emptied a number of bottles of whiskey whereas his father was nonetheless unconscious. He modified the lock on his bed room door then went to mattress.

Police stated that at round 10 p.m., Michael Grasse began banging on his son’s door, threatening to interrupt it down and “kick [his] a—.” Ethan Grasse reportedly advised his father that he would give again the keys and cellphone as soon as he was sober. The older man, whereas persevering with to make threats towards his son, left to work out in his personal room.

At 10:44 p.m., Ethan Grasse texted his grandmother from his bed room, reportedly telling her, “He simply awakened i can hear him threatening me throught [sic] the wall to not make you extra unhappy but when he tries to interrupt into my room i’ll defend myself love you yaya have a superb evening.”

Extra from Legislation&Crime: ‘Noticed one thing on the bottom’: Son repeatedly stabbed father to loss of life in entrance yard as grandmother watched, authorities say

Police stated Ethan Grasse awakened once more at 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2025, when he heard somebody banging at his bed room door. With out placing on his glasses, Ethan Grasse apparently retrieved the .22-caliber handgun he stored in his room because the door was being damaged down. He then allegedly fired at the very least three photographs by way of the door. When he heard his father set free a moan, Ethan Grasse put his glasses on and referred to as 911.

Ethan Grasse wrote in court docket paperwork that since he couldn’t see clearly with out his glasses, he claimed that he “didn’t imply to kill anybody simply defend myself from an unknown intruder.”

Michael Grasse was dropped at a hospital, the place he was pronounced useless at 4:22 a.m.

After the protection offered the case for self-defense in court docket on Tuesday, Uinta County District Court docket Choose James Kaste was not satisfied that the case ought to be dismissed on these grounds. In his ruling, nevertheless, Kaste stated the protection might nonetheless argue that the taking pictures was self-defense at trial.

Ethan Grasse was charged with second-degree homicide and stays in custody on the Uinta County Jail. His trial is scheduled to start on Could 12.