FL Man Charged with Manslaughter in Parking Lot Shooting

FL Man Charged with Manslaughter in Parking Lot Shooting

Michael Drejka, the Florida man who shot and killed a Black man in a convenience store parking lot over a dispute about a parking spot is now being charged with manslaughter after initially avoiding charges. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a statement on Monday, “Consistent with the decision-making process established under Florida law in this case, the State Attorney conducted his review and decided to charge Drejka with manslaughter.”

Pinellas and Pasco County State Attorney Bernie McCabe said that the decision came after a nine-day deliberation which began August 1. “We interviewed witnesses and looked at all the available surveillance video, and we made our decision to move forward based on all the information available,” said McCabe.

Drejka was arrested on Monday morning with his bail set at $100K. He’s due in court on Tuesday.


lorida’s polarizing “stand your ground” law could be used to absolve a man of charges in a fatal shooting over a parking spot. The shooting took place Thursday, July 19, when Michael Drejka and Markeis McGlockton got into a heated argument over McGlockton’s girlfriend parking in a handicap space at a local convenience store.

In the surveillance footage, McGlockton can be seen “forcibly pushing” Drejka in what Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said was “a violent push, this wasn’t a shove, this wasn’t just a tap.” While on the ground, Drejka pulled out a handgun and fired a shot to McGlockton’s chest. He subsequently collapsed inside the convenience store before being taken to the hospital where he died.

The “stand your ground” law is said only to apply to situations where a person is faced with “imminent serious bodily injury,” causing many to question the validity of its application to this case.

Source: cnn.com

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