STAND YOUR GROUND

Florida City Commissioner Charged With Murder After State Rejects Stand Your Ground Claims

Michael Dunn shot a 50-year-old man attempting to leave his store with a stolen hatchet.

A city commissioner in Florida was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder after the state rejected his stand your ground claim in the fatal shooting of a supposed thief at his store, The Ledger reports. Lakeland City Commissioner Michael Dunn, 47, allegedly shot 50-year-old Christobal Lopez as he was attempting to leave Dunn’s Vets Army Navy Surplus Store with a stolen hatchet. According to a store surveillance video released by Lakeland Police and a police report, Lopez did not make “any threatening movements toward the suspect” during the encounter. In addition, Dunn allegedly made “no attempt to help Lopez after the shooting.” “It might be fair to say, that if I just stepped back and let somebody come in and take what they want, that there would be no issue!” Dunn allegedly told police when they interviewed him about the incident. State Attorney Brian Haas told reporters that Dunn’s case was not a fit for the state’s stand-your-ground laws that protect actions of self-defense because Lopez was not threatening Dunn. Dunn could face up to a life sentence in prison. He was reportedly booked into Polk County Jail on Friday without bail.