A Post Falls man pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder for shooting and killing a man in his driveway who he thought was overly aggressive.

William Carlson, 41, who is not in custody, appeared this week in Coeur d’Alene’s First District Court after being bound over on the felony earlier this month.

Carlson told District Judge Scott Wayman that he understood the charge stemming from the Oct. 20 incident, and he chose to waive his speedy trial rights allowing a trial to be set more than six months after his arraignment.

Carlson is accused of killing Tyler S. Liles, 24, with one shot to the chest at close range from a .38 caliber Taurus revolver as the man approached Carlson in what the defendant thought was an aggressive manner.

Carlson was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and released after posting a $100,000 surety, but last month deputy prosecutors amended the charge to second-degree murder.

After a two-day preliminary hearing, a judge agreed the evidence supported the amended charge. According to testimony, Liles appeared angry when just before dark he walked onto Carlson’s end-of-the road property at 649 S. Gallatin Road west of Post Falls. Carlson, who is disabled and suffers from multiple sclerosis, confronted Liles, who was unarmed, and was “clearly not right in the head,” according to a witness.

Carlson pointed his handgun at Liles, told him he was standing his ground, and when Liles continued to briskly approach he was shot once in the chest. Carlson placed his firearm on the hood of a nearby car and called authorities.

Carlson’s attorney, Sean Walsh, said his client has multiple sclerosis and was unable to otherwise protect himself against Liles.

“He would have lost any fist fight with the 24-year-old that would have occurred,” Walsh said.

Second-degree murder carries a sentence between 10 years and life in prison. A Nov. 19 jury trial in Coeur d’Alene was set this week, and Wayman set an Aug. 8 status conference.