Florida politician shoots a fleeing shoplifter dead

[Demovictory9]

 

Cops released surveillance footage on Monday showing a city commissioner in Florida confronting an alleged shoplifter inside an Army Navy Surplus store — and then fatally shooting him as he attempts to flee.

Prosecutors are weighing criminal charges against the local politician, identified as Michael Dunn, 47, of Lakeland.

Legal experts told the Tampa Bay Times that while Lopez does have the state’s Stand Your Ground law on his side, it doesn’t appear he was actually in danger or fear for his life that day.

“This is a very difficult case to defend,” explained Tim Hessinger, a Tampa criminal defense attorney and former state prosecutor.

“Just from the video it doesn’t look like Mr. Dunn was in fear and wasn’t justified in shooting Mr. Lopez as he was leaving,” added Bill Loughery, former prosecutor with the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office. “It appeared that, because he had his gun, Mr. Dunn was in charge of the situation from the standpoint he was directing Mr. Lopez what to do.”

In the surveillance video, Dunn can be seen confronting shoplifting suspect Cristobal Lopez, 50, inside of the Vets Army Navy Surplus store in Lakeland on Oct. 3. Lopez allegedly swiped a hatchet and tried to walk out with it inside of his pants, according to police.

Dunn can be seen on surveillance cameras inside the store placing his Glock handgun into the back of his waistband and walking toward Lopez in an attempt to stop him.

The Hardee County native had been shopping for hats with his father before the shooting occurred, according to The Ledger.

If arrested, Dunn — who has more than six months left on his term — could be suspended from office by the governor. Florida law allows people to use deadly force when facing “imminent death or great bodily harm.”


 https://nypost.com/2018/10/15/shocking-video-shows-politician-fatally-shooting-alleged-shoplifter/

[HopeAgain]

1. Tell me again why it's a good idea to have a heavily armed citizenry?

[Shrike47]

2. Murderer.

[ooky]

3. That's a murder.

Why is he still walking free?

[Anza404]

4. As someone who managed in a dollar store awhile ago

We would have a massive pile of bodies outside if we shot shoplifters and yeah we know who was and was not we could just not do anything about it.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. What is it about guys named Michael Dunn and irrational gun crimes?

Michael Dunn was also the name of the man who shot Jordon Davis, a teenager at a gas station in Jacksonville. Dunn was upset that the car Davis was in was playing its music too loud.

After a mistrial, Dunn was convicted of First Degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

[canetoad]

13. Thank you

I was just coming to post this coincidence.

[Cha]

27. Ohhh.. thanks for bringing up Jordan Davis..

That was so unbearably sad.. like all of the killings.

Best of Luck to his Mom, Lucy Mcbath!

https://lucyforcongress.com/about/

So grateful this Michael Dunn is paying for killing Jordan Davis.

[major debacle]

6. They are cheering this on the Freeper site

... and talk of starting a Go-Fund-Me page for his defense. It really highlights the difference in values between Democrats and Republicans.

[Initech]

10. Yup - their values are murder, sex crimes, and hardcore racism.

[Turin_C3PO]

21. We actually had a

high post count DUer on a post about post-hurricane looting that was advocating all looters should be shot. It was unbelievable to see that here. I would post the link but I think that violates the rules of calling people out.

[Initech]

7. An armed society is a polite society, they said.

[USALiberal]

8. He is just following normal police procedure, they always get off for this shit. nt

[Basement Beat]

9. Why do people...

feel that shoplifting or simply "running away" is grounds to get murdered. What sort of self-righteous sicko must you be to do such things? I really, really hope he gets charged for murder.

[Baitball Blogger]

11. What was so valuable in an Army Navy store that required a fatal response?

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Wasn't even his store..he was a shopper.

this does not bode well for customers in a store. "He was holding the bread in a menacing manner."..bang!!!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. NYT says it was his store.

And he held a counter protest at the store in July to counter a March For our Lives rally.

The guy is a certified asshole.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/us/michael-dunn-lakeland-surveillance-video.html

[peekaloo]

37. It is his store and he is an asshole. You are correct on both counts.

I'm in the area.

Another weak white man who promotes an armed citizenry as a way to circumvent the law.

[dixiegrrrrl]

45. Ohhh.....thank you for that clarification...

Puts a slightly different slant on it.

[Catherine Vincent]

53. Really?!!

I guess he was just itching to use his gun.

This makes me so damn mad.

[tblue37]

33. It was a $16 hatchet. $16! nt

[trixie2]

12. Florida? No shock there.

[pansypoo53219]

14. pretty sure that is no longer a death penalty crime.

[sfwriter]

15. If only there had been a good guy with a gun...

[tenderfoot]

17. Shot someone when he was a teen too

"When he was 19, Mr. Dunn accidentally shot another man, Robert E. Hilton Sr., while practicing his aim with a pistol inside his home, according to The Lakeland Ledger, a local newspaper.

In an interview on Monday, Mr. Hilton said he had been driving his car when a bullet hit his back seat and his elbow. He said he did not know Mr. Dunn at the time and they ended up settling a lawsuit. “I didn’t know him, he didn’t know me,” he said. “He just was shooting.”

Prosecutors, the police and Mr. Dunn’s lawyer said they could not comment on the matter.

Mr. Dunn hosted a rally in July at his store to counter a nearby March for Our Lives rally, which called for action against gun violence after the massacre at a South Florida high school in February, according to The Tampa Bay Times."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/us/michael-dunn-lakeland-surveillance-video.html

[Beartracks]

30. "just shooting" - What a damn stupid thing to do with a gun. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

19. And to think those crazy religious extremists in Iran would only have cut off his hand.

When you seem too strict compared to the Ayatollahs, it's time to question your judgement.

[Coventina]

20. Murder. First Degree. The suspect was running away.

There was no reason to shoot him.

[Turin_C3PO]

22. Murder.

Give him a fair trial then lock him up for life.

[Separation]

23. So there is now litigious proof

That the Stand Your Ground law is and was nothing more than a license to kil POC.

Not that everyone here already knew that, or at least I hope know that.

[JI7]

25. most gun nuts WANT to shoot and kill people. they look for any opportunity .

[raccoon]

41. Da winnah! nt

[Haggis for Breakfast]

26. Is anyone really surprised by this ?

Because I'm not. Not even a little bit.

[k8conant]

28. I haven't been in Lakeland since my stepmother died in 2005...

but it sounds like it's as bad as West Virginia now.

[Beartracks]

29. That sounds like murder to me. n/t

[uponit7771]

31. Sounds like Dunn shot the lifter in the back.

[lunasun]

32. Judge jury & executioner in one. Is that how the law works in a SYG state ?

He most likely will never have any remorse over killing Mr Lopez over a stolen hatchet that Dunn did not even own . Bet he will have a lot of pity for himself now though

[tblue37]

34. Since it was Dunn's store, he did "own" the hatchet, but it's still murder over a $16 hatchet. nt

[lunasun]

38. I thought the article implied he was shopping for a hat . The article is poorly written transposing

who shot who in the beginning and then not saying who was in the store for a hat. I did not realize he was the store owner from the posting

[tblue37]

40. The victim and his father were shopping for hats. nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

46. Watch him claim he feared for his life due to the hatchet hidden in the victim's pants.

[hack89]

50. No. He committed a crime and most likely will be charged.

it was not self defense.

[malaise]

35. This man held a counter-protest

after the Parkland sllaughter. What more do you need to know?

[muriel_volestrangler]

36. "Michael is a graduate of the Lakeland Citizens' Police Academy"

https://www.lakelandgov.net/government/mayor-city-commission/michael-dunn/

http://blog.lakelandchamber.com/2015/01/2015-lakeland-citizens-police-academy-sign-up-today/

Gun nut and wannabe cop, who shot a man before:

When he was 19, Dunn was practicing aiming a 9mm pistol inside his McKay Street home, according to a Ledger article written in 2000 when he was running for Polk County Commission.

Dunn said at the time he thought the gun was unloaded, but it wasn’t.

A Lakeland police report, quoting a witness, said Dunn was “pretending he had the weapon in a holster drawing it forward toward the fireplace” when it went off.

A hollow-point bullet went out the front door of Dunn’s home, through his porch screen, down an alley and through the driver’s seat of Robert Hilton’s Nissan Sentra and into his elbow.

http://www.newsherald.com/news/20181004/city-commissioner-michael-dunn-shoots-kills-man-at-dunns-north-lakeland-store

[ProfessorGAC]

39. Shot A Guy, THEN The Citizens' Academy Accepted Him?

He was, BY DEFINITION, an irresponsible gun owner. He shot a guy by accident because he was so incompetent with a firearm.

And the Citizens' Police Academy thought it was a good idea to admit him?

[Garrett78]

42. Paragraph 3: Dunn, not Lopez. Anyway, Dunn should spend the rest of his life in prison.

In a sane world, he would. So, he won't.

[FSogol]

43. Judge, Jury, and Executioner! Hope they charge the asshole. Is the death penalty commonly used for

shoplifting in Florida?

[KG]

44. just another fuck-nut with a gun looking for a reason to shoot someone

[maveric]

47. A death sentence for shoplifting?

Did he really feel like his was in danger?
Fuck this shit!

[Iggo]

49. He felt like it was his right to kill that man. He gets to.

Not that it was needed.
Not that it was right to do so.
It was permitted.

He stole from me. I get to kill him.

That's the difference between gunfuckers and real people.

[Iggo]

48. Gunfuckers gonna gunfuck.

"I get to kill you if you try to take my stuff." -- All Gunfuckers.

[MineralMan]

51. Stealing a hatchet is a capital offense in Florida?

Really?

[Catherine Vincent]

52. Horrible! This man was not in any danger.

Yes, the man was stealing but it's not worth killing him for it. It looks like he shot him in the chest.