Deadly shooting sparks 'Stand Your Ground' protests
Michael Drejka shot and killed Markeis McGlockton during an argument over a handicapped parking spot at a convenience store in Clearwater, Florida; Phil Keating reports from Miami.
A Florida man charged with manslaughter -- after a sheriff previously said the fatal shooting was justified under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law -- made his first court appearance Tuesday.
Michel Drejka, 48, is accused in the July 19 shooting of Markeis McGlockton, a 28-year-old black man, during a parking lot confrontation. A judge kept the bond at $100,000 – which will keep Drejka in jail for the time being.
Michael Drejka was charged with manslaughter Monday in the July 19 death of unarmed black man Markeis McGlockton outside a Clearwater convenience store (Pinellas, Fla., County Sheriff's Office)
Judge Joseph Bulone in Pinellas County Court on Tuesday said if Drejka posts bail, he must surrender all of his guns to the sheriff, wear an ankle monitor and not leave the country. Drejka appeared in court via video from the county jail.
The shooting, which was caught by a surveillance camera, reignited the national debate about the “Stand Your Ground” law and led to demonstrations by protesters who criticized Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gulatieri for not arresting Drejka.
McGlockton’s girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, was seated in the couple’s car with two of their children when she said Drejka confronted her for being parked in a handicapped-accessible space. McGlockton had gone into a store while she waited outside.
The video showed McGlockton leaving the store and shoving Drejka to the ground. Seconds later, Drejka pulls a handgun and shoots McGlockton as he backs away. McGlockton then runs back into the store clutching his chest.
Witnesses said he collapsed inside the store in front of his 5-year-old son, also named Markeis.
Markeis McGlockton, far left, is shot by Michael Drejka during an altercation in the parking lot of a convenience store in Clearwater, Fla. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Gulatieri originally declined to charge Drejka, saying one day after the shooting that the man was protected by Florida’s law. The sheriff passed the case to prosecutors for a final decision and Drejka was charged with manslaughter Monday.
"The charges are only one step in this journey to get justice for the unbelievable killing of Markeis McGlockton in front of his children," said Benjamin Crump, the family's attorney. "They understand when you look at the history of the state of Florida and stand your ground that this doesn't equal a conviction. All of America is watching Clearwater, Florida to see if there will be equal justice for Markeis McGlockton...If the facts were in reverse, nobody would doubt what the outcome would be."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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