After allegedly killing an unarmed Black teen last week for a disagreement over loud music, 45-year-old Michael Dunn is invoking the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law in his defense.
17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis and three other teens were sitting in a SUV in a parking lot when Dunn pulled up next to the car and asked them to turn down their music, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Officials say after an exchange of words, Dunn pulled out a gun and shot eight or nine times, hitting Davis twice.
No one else was hurt.
Dunn, a gun collector, was arrested on Saturday at his home in Florida on charges of murder and attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail. Robin Lemonidis, Dunn’s attorney, said that her client acted “responsibly and in self-defense.”
“Michael is not a vigilante. He’s a brilliant software developer. It was never his intention to kill anyone.” she explained in a report by CNN. “[...] Self defense applies because Mr. Dunn was threatened. We can’t say what the defense will be at this stage … but stand your ground is a possibility.”
Ron Davis, the victim’s father, sees things differently.
“He did something that there was no defense for,” he told reporters. Ron said his son was a good kid, didn’t own any guns and wasn’t a part of a gang.
Dunn’s claim of self-defense is another instance of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which was similarly used in the defense of George Zimmerman after shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin earlier this year.
Davis was a student at Samuel W. Wolfson High School in Jacksonvillle, FL and is survived by his parents and brother. A vigil was held at his school on Tuesday with his family, classmates and teachers in attendance.
Davis will reportedly be buried on Saturday (Dec. 1) in his hometown of Marietta, GA.
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