Markeis McGlockton was shot and killed by a white man, Michael Drejka, in a Florida parking lot. The shooting was caught on camera, but Drejka has not, and may not be, arrested.
Here’s everything you need to know about how McGlockton died and why Drejka remains a free man.
1. The dispute that led to McGlockton's death started over a parking space.
On July 19, 2018, Britany Jacobs was sitting in the parking lot of a convenience store in Clearwater, Florida, waiting for her boyfriend, McGlockton, to return from the store.
Michael Drejka walked up to Jacobs' running car and complained about her vehicle being illegally parked in a handicap space. Neither Drejka nor Jacobs are disabled.
An argument ensued, and when McGlockton came out of the store, he defended his girlfriend during the heated debate. Security camera footage shows McGlockton pushing Drejka.
Drejka can be seen falling to the ground. He then pulled out a handgun and shot McGlockton in his chest.
2. The police refuse to arrest Drejka because of Florida’s "stand your ground" law, but he isn’t off the hook yet.
Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri confirmed the police had no plans to take Drejka into custody in a press conference on Friday, July 20, reports WCNC.
"After being slammed to the ground, he felt he was going to be further attacked," Gualtieri said.
"The Florida Legislature has created a standard that is a largely subjective standard. The person's subjective determination of the circumstance they were in, the fear that they had, is relevant to the determination of whether they were justified in the use of force. The law in the state of Florida today is that people have the right to stand their ground and have a right to defend themselves when they believe they are in harm," the sheriff continued.
Gualtieri is sending the case to the state attorney’s office.
“We’re gonna refer this to the state attorney’s office. The state attorney’s office will review it, and apply the law to the facts, and make a determination as to whether something should be charged,” he said.
3. Drejka shot McGlockton within seconds of landing on the ground.
Video surveillance shows McGlockton pushed Drejka and had begun to walk away when he was shot.
When Drekja landed on the ground, he appeared to pull the gun from his pocket and shot McGlockton four seconds later.
“If you count it, between the time that Drejka goes to the ground, and the time he shoots, it’s a count of four seconds. It’s a count of four, no more than five. It’s a very short amount of time,” Gualtieri said during the press conference.
This may become important as the state's attorney works to determine whether the state's "stand your ground" law protects Drejka from charges.
4. The shooter has a history of parking lot disputes.
The store's owner and another customer say this isn’t the first time Drejka has caused trouble in the parking lot, according to ABC Action News.
The owner says he has called the police because Drejka likes to “find someone to argue with.”
Customer Rich Kelly says Drejka used racial slurs and threatened to kill him during an earlier encounter.
"It’s a repeat. It happened to me the first time. The second time it’s happening, someone’s life got taken," Kelly told The Tampa Bay Times. "He provoked that."
5. Jacobs is determined to seek justice for McGlockton.
“How is this stand your ground law? It’s not! Markeis pushed him, how does that justify a bullet?” she said of the incident during an interview with ABC. She says the death has been hard on their family.
“My son saw the whole thing. I'm hurting. My kids are hurting. They've been asking where their dad is. My 5-year-old saw it all! This is not right. This case cannot be thrown out," Jacobs said through tears.
“This is not right, and I need justice."
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