Trial date set for man charged with Charleston teen’s death

William Pulliam, 62, was arraigned in Kanawha County Circuit Court Monday afternoon. He was indicted by a Kanawha County grand jury last month.

Richard Hollicker, Pulliams’ lawyer, told Judge Charles King his client wanted to plead guilty to person prohibited from possessing a firearm and plead not guilty to first degree murder and to felony use of a firearm.

The judge would not allow a guilty plea on Monday. King said he would schedule a hearing for later this week.

The trial will be for the murder charge and other gun charge.

Pulliam, a white man, is accused of killing James Means, a black teenage boy, on Charleston’s East End last November. Pulliam allegedly told police “another piece of trash is off the street” following the incident.

The shooting happened after an argument outside the Dollar General store, which is a few blocks from the State Capitol. Pulliam claims he acted in self defense, while prosecutors argue Means was shot multiple times as he tried to run away from Pulliam.

In February, Pulliam was indicted in federal court for lying about a domestic violence charge on his application to buy a gun.

Detectives previously said Means had been keeping a BB-gun that resembled a handgun in his waistband earlier that day and that it was later found in a bag. Pulliam allegedly said to the boy, “That toy gun is going to get you f-ing killed” right before Means was shot, according to audio obtained from a house nearby.

Pulliam is currently being held without bail in the South Central Regional Jail.