Police: Philadelphia Pastor Kirk Caldwell, Shoots & Kills Son Jordan Caldwell, 21, in Domestic Dispute

As of Friday, Pastor Caldwell has not been charged in the incident and it is not clear what charges he will face. Quite unlike actor Charlie Sheen, who was charged in Aspen, Colorado Christmas Day with two felonies on felony menacing, which is a threat involving a deadly weapon, reportedly a knife, and the other is for domestic violence against his wife, Brooke Mueller. Sheen, no stranger to law enforcement, was released on a $8,500 bond, and is scheduled to appear in Pitkin County Courthouse in Colorado on February 8, 2010. Bail agents and surety companies, such as Surety Bonds, handle a wide variety of bonds, including jail bonds, which allow people accused of crimes to be released from jail by guaranteeing that they will return for their court date(s).

Still, Caldwell faces an uphill battle if he cannot establish that he acted in self-defense in the murder of his son. There is also the possibility that the district attorney decides not to prosecute the case and drop the charges. In Pennsylvania, first-degree murder is defined as as intentional killing when it is committed by an intentional killing. Second-degree murder is committed while the defendant was engaged as a principal or an accomplice in the penetration of a felony. Third-degree murder encompasses all other homicidal acts.

The police have stated, according to the Daily Times, that they are not sure what led up to the shooting, but Kirk Caldwell had not been charged as of early Friday evening. The Daily Times is also reporting that Pastor Caldwell has spoken out against violence in Darby, which has seen its homicides for 2009 skyrocketing to 29. He appeared at a July 9, 2009, vigil for another young shooting victim, in which he was quoted in the Daily Times as cautioning residents not to take the law into their own hands.

The official cause of the death of Jordan Caldwell is still pending. An autopsy is being performed by the Delaware County Medical Examiner. Police chief Robert Smythe said the gun was legally registered to Kirk Caldwell.