'Stand Your Ground' case: Suspect reenacts fatal shooting
Newly released video shows investigators questioning Michael Drejka moments after he shot and killed Markeis McGlockton. Drejka cites Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law in the incident.
The Florida man who claims he was defending himself under the state's "Stand Your Ground" law appeared in court Wednesday as authorities released new video showing when he was questioned by investigators.
The six-hour-long video taken on July 19 and released by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office shows when Drejka, 48, was brought in for questioning after he allegedly shot and 28-year-old killed Markeis McGlockton at a gas station parking lot.
"As I'm reaching and pulling around, he's standing there in front of me," Drejka said as he described the moments leading up to the shooting, "as I come up he's taking his step towards me."
Surveillance video from the July incident captured Drejka starting a confrontation over a parking space. McGlockton knocked Drejka to the pavement after he exchanged words with the 28-year-old's girlfriend.
Michael Drejka described the moments leading up to the shooting during his questioning by police. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)
"It happened so fast and that was that ... I was literally blindsided," he told police.
During the interview, the retired tree trimmer said he'd carried a gun since he was 22, and that people parking illegally in handicapped spots at that store was a pet peeve, and that he'd approached people before.
"Does it ever go through your mind ... that they might not take that right? That this might go sideways a little bit?" the detective asked.
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"Um, well, sure. But that's why I take precautions, as well," Drejka said.
When asked what kind of precautions, Drejka replied: "Well, I'm a very careful person and I have a permit."
Drejka said he was "literally blindsided" when Markeis McGlockton knocked him to the ground after an argument over a parking spot. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)
At the end of the interrogation, Drejka mentioned the “Stand Your Ground” law, telling the detective, "I did exactly what I thought I was supposed to be doing at that time."
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Drejka was arrested nearly a month after the shooting and charged with manslaughter. After spending six weeks behind bars, Drejka was released from jail Monday after he posted $100,000 bail.
Drejka’s lawyers on Wednesday asked a judge to help their client maintain his privacy after he and his wife received death threats, and said the couple is moving to a rental home in the next few weeks, FOX13 reported. The judge ruled the details of where they will be living won’t be made public.
In this Aug. 7, 2018, file photo, Michael McGlockton holds a photo of his son, Markeis McGlockton, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Tamara Lush)
McGlockton's family has been outspoken in their dismay over how the case was handled, and hired attorney Benjamin Crump, who gained national prominence representing the family of Trayvon Martin after the teen's fatal shooting in 2012.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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