Two recent cases in Florida has brought controversy to the self-defense principle of “Stand Your Ground.” The first case was shooting at the movie theater and the second one is the gun battle during MLK day.
The hearing of movie theater shooting was conducted in last week in the courtroom. The court in Pasco County, Florida proceed the case of former police captain Curtis Reeves who shot Chad Oulson in the movie theater in January 2014. Reeves claimed to act in self defense as Oulson threw popcorn at him after he was reminded to refrain from using cellphone in the movie theater.
Reeves’ wife Vivian testified on Wednesday, Feb. 22 before the judge, ABC News reported. She said that Coulson charged toward them before her husband shot him.
The court will later decide whether Reeves acted in self defense to shot Coulson that cause his death. If the judge declare his act as self defense based on the Stand Your Ground law, the former Tampa Bay police captain will be free from criminal prosecution and civil action. However, if the judge consider his act was not in line with self defense, he will be charged for second degree murder.
Another case of the shooting involving two teenagers Gerrel Brownlee, 18, and Robert Britt, 17, as reported by Miami Herald. They were alleged to take part in the shooting rampage that wounded eight people at a Martin Luther King parade in Miami on Jan. 16.
Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez announced the arrest of the two teenager after the shooting incident that injured five teens and three adults. However, upon examining the case, the prosecutors on Thursday, Feb. 23 declined to file charge against them. The spokeprson to the State Attorney’s Office said the the conflict evidence and the stand your ground laws have made the case become difficult to be presented to jury.
Watch the explanation of four points in the Stand Your Ground" Laws below:
