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Florida Police Won’t Charge Man for Fatal Shooting Because of “Stand Your Ground” Laws

HeadlineJul 24, 2018

In Pinellas County, Florida, police say they will not charge a man captured in surveillance footage fatally shooting another man during a dispute over a parking spot. The footage shows Michael Drejka confronting the family of Markeis McGlockton over his decision to park in a handicapped spot while the father of three ran into a convenience store. When he returned from the store, McGlockton shoved Drejka, who in turn fired a fatal shot to McGlockton’s chest, killing him. The sheriff says the shooter will not be charged, because of Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which sparked national outrage in 2012 when white vigilante George Zimmerman successfully used it as his defense after he shot and killed unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin. In 2017, Florida’s “stand your ground” law was strengthened in a controversial change which shifts the burden of proof from the defense to the prosecutors, who now have to prove the shooter is not entitled to “stand your ground” immunity.

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