A Florida jury has convicted a white man of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in a dispute over a handicapped parking spot.
The jury of five men and a woman deliberated for more than six hours Friday before convicting Michael Drejka. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
He was charged with the July 2018 death of Markeis McGlockton.
Drejka had confronted McGlockton's girlfriend for parking in a handicapped space while McGlockton went into a convenience store. Security video recorded McGlockton leaving the store and shoving Drejka to the ground.
Seconds later, Drejka pulled out a handgun and shot the 28-year-old McGlockton as he backed away. McGlockton ran inside the store, where he collapsed and died.
Drejka told the detectives he has a "pet peeve" about illegal parking in handicapped spots.
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CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on (all times local):
3:50 p.m.
The prosecution rested its case in the manslaughter trial of a man accused of fatally shooting an unarmed black man during a dispute over a handicapped parking space in Florida.
The prosecution rested Thursday after two days of testimony in the trial of Michael Drejka, who fatally shot Markeis McGlockton in July 2018. The trial is being held in Clearwater.
On Thursday, the prosecution played video of Drejka's interview with Pinellas County sheriff's detectives hours after the shooting. He told detectives he pulled his gun and fired after being pushed to the ground because he feared McGlockton would "finish" what he started. Drejka had been arguing with McGlockton's girlfriend because she was parked in a convenience store's handicapped space.
Drejka is white. He told the detectives he has a "pet peeve" about illegal parking in handicapped spots. He said he didn't see McGlockton before he was pushed.
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11 a.m.
The Florida man who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a dispute over a handicapped parking space told detectives he fired because he had been pushed to the ground and he feared the man was about to "finish" what he started.
Prosecutors played Michael Drejka's interview with Pinellas County detectives Thursday. Drejka is on trial in Clearwater for manslaughter for the July 2018 death of Markeis McGlockton.
Security video shows Drejka confronted McGlockton's girlfriend in her car outside a convenience store. McGlockton came outside and pushed Drejka to the ground. Drejka pulled a handgun and fired, killing McGlockton.
Drejka is white. He told the detectives he has a "pet peeve" about illegal parking in handicapped spots, so he confronted the girlfriend. He said he didn't see McGlockton before he was pushed.
