Shooting incidents in the news.

[blues]

^^^^I see this neither as a "stand your ground" issue nor a good shooting. (Despite the poor handling of the situation by the deceased.)

I'll be shocked if the shooter isn't charged, let alone found civilly liable.

(Apparently this isn't his first go round with parking lot heroics nor brandishing.)

Reporters asked whether the fact that Drejka initiated the incident made him more culpable — pointing to previous complaints the sheriff’s office has received about him.

A few months ago, according to the Tampa Bay Times, Rick Kelly parked his tanker truck in the same handicapped spot and said he was confronted by Drejka.

Drejka walked around his truck, looking for handicap decals, then demanded to know why Kelly had parked there, the trucker told the Tampa Bay Times. At one point Drejka threatened to shoot Kelly.

“It’s a repeat. It happened to me the first time. The second time it’s happening, someone’s life got taken,” Kelly told the Tampa Bay Times. “He provoked that.”

[ragnar_d]

That one had popped up previously. I'll have to find the story, but apparently the shooter in that story is not an unknown quantity in that area. Someone said that the shooter had previously threatened to make use of his pistol on patrons before. One of those guys that self appointed himself a parking monitor and was "looking for a reason" it would seem. We'll see what the investigation turns over.

Found it:

Those who saw the video do not believe this is a case of Stand Your Ground.

Richard Kelly is a regular at the store and says he was approached once by Drejka for the same reason.

"He basically threatened to shoot me that day, too," says Kelly.

[Doc_Glock]

That one had popped up previously. I'll have to find the story, but apparently the shooter in that story is not an unknown quantity in that area. Someone said that the shooter had previously threatened to make use of his pistol on patrons before. One of those guys that self appointed himself a parking monitor and was "looking for a reason" it would seem. We'll see what the investigation turns over.

Found it:

This incident really got under my skin. Charges should stick to that trouble seeking loser. No way is this stand your ground.

[hufnagel]

one wonders if the police chief in question is trying to make SYG look bad. and I agree, it doesn't look like a valid SYG type incident, if only because the now-dead guy was backing up at gun presentation.

[HCM]

one wonders if the police chief in question is trying to make SYG look bad. and I agree, it doesn't look like a valid SYG type incident, if only because the now-dead guy was backing up at gun presentation.

Whether or not it was justified or falls under SGY is a determination for the prosecutor.

I already call bullshit on the Chief making such a pronouncement.

[Zincwarrior]

It doesn't help that the shooter and chief are white and the victim is black.

[hufnagel]

Whether or not it was justified or falls under SGY is a determination for the prosecutor.

I already call bullshit on the Chief making such a pronouncement.

Sorry... not Chief, but Sheriff. L.I. mentioned it, but didn't provide a cite for the Sheriff's pronouncement.

Rather surprisingly, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has announced that Drejka would not be arrested over the shooting, on the basis of Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law.

Hence my illusion to potential political hay being made.

[blues]

It doesn't help that the shooter and chief are white and the victim is black.

I'm going to go out on (an unpopular) limb and say that that shouldn't matter. Facts and the law are the only things that (should) matter.

[HCountyGuy]

As I understand it, the Sheriff there isn’t a particularly big fan of legally armed citizens.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/2015...ealed-carriers

With that in mind, he may be using this incident to vilify SYG and citizens carrying in general by making the statements he has.

[blues]

As I understand it, the Sheriff there isn’t a particularly big fan of legally armed citizens.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/2015...ealed-carriers

With that in mind, he may be using this incident to vilify SYG and citizens carrying in general by making the statements he has.

If that is the case, I hope it comes back to take a big ol' chunk out of his ass.

ETA: From reading HCG's link, this guy sounds like he needs to find another line of work.