Another potential “Stand Your Ground” shooting recently occurred in Florida. An Orlando man shot and killed a 21-year-old who was allegedly running through (or from, depending on who you ask), his yard. But the young man had not stolen anything, nor broken in to anyone’s home. He was literally just running. He had not threatening anyone, but Claudius Smith nevertheless said that he was afraid that this running youth was a burglar.
That’s when he decided to stalk him, and shoot him. Is this starting to sound familiar?
Smith followed the young man over a fence into a neighboring apartment complex. When police arrived, they found 21-year-old Ricardo Sanes dead in the grass, surrounded by six .45-caliber shell casings.
In a confession documented in the Orlando Police Department report Smith said that he was afraid of his victim “because his pants were falling down”. This, Smith explained, must have meant that the “fleeing” young man was “armed.” The irony that Smith himself was armed, was apparently lost on the shooter.
As well, Smith explained that Sanes “had his hands in the pocket” of his hooded sweatshirt, another piece of attire that Smith said indicated the young man was up to no good.
While the similarities with the killing Trayvon Martin are obvious to most, where this case differs is that Smith has already been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Nevertheless, this is Florida, and a judge may still grant him “Stand Your Ground” immunity from prosecution. It’s happened before, and you had better believe it can happen again.
http://politicalblindspot.com/another-man-... Get ready for "Stand Your Ground, Part 2."
Police say an Orlando man is claiming self-defense after fatally shooting a man that he saw walking through his front yard.
Claudius Smith was charged with second-degree murder on Friday for the death of Ricardo Sanes, 21, TV station WOFL reported.
Sanes' body was found with multiple gunshot wounds on Thursday morning in an apartment complex near Smith's home.
Smith, 32, sprang out of his home after his girlfriend Angela Kemraj told him she'd seen someone on a surveillance monitor crossing their lawn, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/20/c...
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Sunday, January 26th 2014 at 12:49AM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
