Florida man accused of hate crime in deadly shooting of gay man claims self-defense
Source: AP
Updated 12:13 PM CST, December 7, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) A Florida man accused of a hate crime for killing a gay man is asking a judge to dismiss the charges, saying he acted in self-defense.
Gerald Radford testified on Friday that he feared for his own life when he shot John Walt Lay at a Tampa dog park on Feb. 2.
Local news outlets report Radford testified that Lay repeatedly hit him in the face just before the shooting.
I dont know if I told him to stop or not, but he wasnt stopping, Radford testified in a hearing before Hillsborough Circuit Judge Samantha Ward.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/florida-tampa-dog-park-shooting-gay-hate-f87b898ace55291e894f26feb0346071
groundloop
(12,386 posts)near the bottom of the article we're told that prosecutors are saying that ballistics evidence disproves the self defense claim. Hopefully common sense will prevail and justice will be done.
doc03
(36,957 posts)GreenWave
(9,442 posts)He harassed his victim for months and now spouts this bullshit?
Behind the Aegis
(54,926 posts)This is common among bigots, any minority who stands up to them is a threat, therefore any action the bigot takes is justified in their pathetic, diseased little minds.
C0RI0LANUS
(1,861 posts)Gerald Declan Radford (L); harmless victim John Walter Lay (R) (Photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Facebook)
In an average year, 3,038 people die and 6,358 are wounded by guns in Florida. The Sunshine State has the 23rd-highest rate of gun violence in the US.
Source:
https://everystat.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gun-Violence-in-Florida-2024-05.pdf
Prof. Toru Tanaka
(2,363 posts)it appears that Gerald Radford clearly went out of his way to harass, intimidate and bully John Lay. I hope he is convicted and imprisoned.
OldBaldy1701E
(6,613 posts)Prof. Toru Tanaka
(2,363 posts)is his hatred for groups he doesnt like or agree with. He probably would fit right in with the fascists. I hope he doesnt walk like Zimmerman did.