Here we go again: a Florida man is now claiming self-defense and will possibly invoke the state's "Stand Your Ground" law after shooting eight rounds into a car full of black teens, killing one, and fleeing the scene, all because the teens allegedly did not turn down their loud music and the man claims to have seen a gun that did not exist.
"There are no comparisons to the Trayvon Martin situation," said attorney Robin Lemonidis, who is representing Michael Dunn — the man who shot up the car and now faces a murder charge. "He is devastated and horrified by the death of the teen."
At the outset of what may become another major — and majorly symbolic — case in Florida, the statement from Dunn's lawyer remains puzzling. She's implying that Zimmerman didn't feel any remorse when he killed Trayvon Martin.
But taking the matter at its simplest, and less than one year removed from the death of Martin, here we have another older white man (Dunn) killing an unarmed, black 17-year-old boy named Jordan Davis, claiming self defense because he felt threatened — and he might get legal protection because of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.
Lemonidis likely wouldn't have had to fend off the Trayvon Martin comparisons unless people already saw it, and they already do:
Disturbing shooting in Florida again.... and yes ANOTHER 17year old African American male... smh wptv.com//dpp/news/stat…
— IMperfection (@IcantSTOPsmilin) November 28, 2012
And:
The deadly shooting of an unarmed teen in Florida has drawn comparisons to the Trayvon Martin case.An attorney... fb.me/zh0FG1XF
— fox8news (@fox8news) November 28, 2012
Davis and "several other teenagers were sitting in a sport utility vehicle in the parking lot when Dunn pulled up next to them in a car and asked them to turn down their music" on November 23, Jacksonville sheriff's Lt. Rob Schoonover told The Orlando Sentinel's Susan Jacobsen.
Dunn said he exchanged words with Davis, heard threats from the teens who didn't turn their music down, and thought he saw a gun. This prompted Dunn to fire at least eight rounds into the car, killing Davis. Authorities searched and did not find any guns in the car.
"Dunn's girlfriend and the driver of Jordan's vehicle were in Gate Food Post, 8251 Southside Blvd., when the shooting happened. Dunn and his girlfriend took off afterward, and witnesses jotted down their tag number," deputies told Jacobsen, who reports that Lemonidis said "her client acted responsibly and in self-defense."
"We can't say what the defense will be at this stage ... but stand your ground is a possibility," said Lemonidis in CNN's report.
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