Washington 17-year-old who killed his twin has charges dropped

COULEE CITY, Wash. -- Prosecutors have dropped charges of manslaughter and assault against a Washington 17-year-old who is accused of fatally stabbing his twin brother.

KREM-TV reported Thursday that the charges against Shawn Watcher were dropped after prosecutors determined he stabbed his twin Shane Watcher out of self-defense. Shawn Watcher was charged as an adult.

Court documents state Shane Watcher had come home drunk in the middle of the night in February and disturbed his brother. The two began fist fighting and moved into the family kitchen. Shawn Watcher told detectives he grabbed a kitchen knife to keep his brother away. He told detectives his brother came at him and charged into the knife.

Statements from family members also described Shane Watcher as the aggressor.

The Watcher family called the incident an accident.