CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — A white Florida man who told detectives he was irritated by people who illegally park in handicapped spots was sentenced on Thursday to 20 years in prison for the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man outside a convenience store.
Circuit Judge Joseph Bulone called 49-year-old Michael Drejka a “wanna-be” law enforcement officer and a self-appointed “handicapped parking space monitor.”
Jurors found Drejka guilty of manslaughter in August.
Drejka confronted Markeis McGlockton’s girlfriend Britany Jacobs in July 2018 for parking in a handicapped space at a Clearwater convenience store. McGlockton had gone inside the store with his 5-year-old son to buy drinks. As the confrontation continued, a customer went into the store and alerted McGlockton.
Security video shows McGlockton leaving the store and shoving Drejka to the ground. Seconds later, Drejka pulls out a handgun and shoots the 28-year-old McGlockton as he backs away.
Killer of black man in parking dispute gets 20 years
Let’s forget the obvious Race Baiting attempt ny AP and repeated by my local Channel 7 and concentrate on the final result. 20 years in prison. And I want to repeat the judge’s comments because similar words have been posted here.
“wanna-be” law enforcement officer and a self-appointed “handicapped parking space monitor.”
Just because you carry, you are not endorsed by any legal or governmental office to act as cop. In fact it is the the instructional package you get when applying for a Florida CWL. The late Jim Cirillo stated the following:
”You are not sworn to endanger your life to apprehend a dangerous criminal, nor you are paid to do it.”
We return once again to Avoidance, deterrence and de-escalation. Maybe we should start treating these steps with the same fervor as Cooper’s Rules of Gun Safety.
This is the event where the shooter got in an argument with the woman in the car. Then her man came out and physically attacked the shooter. Shooter went down, then drew and fired after the man had disengaged.
One of those places where the rules we follow say “Don’t engage, back away, you are responsible for deescalating.”
If shooter put himself in a situation where the probability of conflict went up, due to the shooters actions. This allowed the prosecution to paint him as a murder.
Bingo!! Yup the shooter caused the whole thing out of fake outrage. As Hank jr once said- mind your own business.. if you carry YOU should be very calm and non aggressive UNLESS some one forces you to defend yourself. Here in Maine if you escalate a situation you are no longer the victim. Now 2 lives are ruined because of blatent stupidity
The judge’s comments make it pretty clear this was a kangaroo trial from the beginning. Which is another reason to be very, very careful; as this blog itself has noted, some cops and judges (and especially politicians) think gun-owners (and conservatives in general) are pests that need to be eradicated, and will bend and break whatever law or moral they have to in order to make it happen (just look at what’s happening in Portland).