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Florida Man Claims “Stand Your Ground” Defense in Death of Black Teen Over Loud Music

It has almost been one year since the death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman. You remember that case, don’t you? You now, the black teen armed with Skittles and Ice Tea who was gunned down by an over-zealous neighborhood watch captain for wearing a hoodie and looking suspiciously black? Yeah, I’m only asking because the media hype surrounding the case has all but died down — at least to me it has. I mean, it’s not like anyone on is talking about it.

Well, no need for me to restart that debate; heck, I’m still a supporter of the now infamous “Stand Your Ground” laws across the country; and no, I’m not a card-carrying member of the NRA, nor am I one of these lunatic right-wing lunatics. Simply put, I do believe that if my life is threatened and I’m in imminent danger, I have the right to defend myself without having to retreat as the law allows. Having said that, it’s going to be hard to convince me that the law is designed to kill innocent black people. But just in case you might, check out the following story from Florida.

This via jacksonville.com:

17-Year-Old Jordan Russell Davis

Michael David Dunn will be brought from Brevard County to Jacksonville after entering a not-guilty plea to charges of murder and attempted murder in the Friday shooting death of a 17-year-old student at a Jacksonville gas station.

Dunn, 45, of Satellite Beach, waived extradition and should be en route back to Jacksonville before Thursday to face charges in the death of Jordan Russell Davis, according to Lt. Tod Goodyear, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

A gun collector in Jacksonville for his son’s wedding, Dunn told police he felt “threatened” after an argument with the Wolfson High student over loud music coming from a sports-utility vehicle parked next to him at the Gate station at 8251 Southside Blvd. Davis was in the back seat when “there were words exchanged,” followed by gunfire at 7:40 p.m., said Jacksonville homicide Lt. Rob Schoonover.

“Our suspect produced a weapon and started firing into the vehicle. Our victim was shot a couple of times,” Schoonover said. “ … They were listening to the music. It was loud; they [other teens] admitted that. But I mean that is not a reason for someone to open fire on them.”

[...] Davis family members couldn’t be reached for comment. They requested that the school district and Wolfson employees not speak to the news media, according to school system spokeswoman Jill Johnson.

Dunn lives in an oceanfront townhome in Satellite Beach. He is listed on his LinkedIn web page as vice president of software development since 2004 at Dunn and Dunn Data Systems in Fort Pierce.

Schoonover said Dunn and his girlfriend were next to the red SUV containing Davis and three of his friends. Dunn’s girlfriend was inside when Dunn and Davis exchanged words. Shots were fired, leaving Davis hit and eight or nine bullet holes in the SUV, Schoonover said.

The couple drove off after Dunn told her he had “fired at these kids,” Schoonover said. They went to their hotel, then returned to Brevard County when they learned what had happened from local news.

Witnesses gave police Dunn’s license plate number, which led police to his home. Schoonover said Dunn was planning to turn himself in when he was arrested.

Oh, so another black kid gets killed in Florida by a non-black man and not n’aan black person is protesting? Nope, nobody is holding press conferences? Nobody is asking President Obama questions about the case? Hell, nobody is even calling the shooter in this case racist? Shit, where is Sean Hannity and the New Black Panther Party on this one? I mean, unlike the Zimmerman case, this sounds like a serious disregard for black life. Hell, how else can unloading a clip into the backseat of an SUV with kids be characterized if the occupants happen to be black.

But hey, maybe we can do something like a million booming system procession instead of a million hoodie march in protest of the senseless murder of Jordan Russell Davis. Not that playing music too loud is worth dying over; but, maybe it’s the only way we can gain attention and maybe even some justice. Not that this homicide was racially motivated as far as the evidence shows — which is a good thing if you ask me — but let’s hope it stays that way. Really, there’s no need for more talk of race riots in small Florida towns, or any town in America for that matter.

But hey, that’s just me. According to Dunn, Davis had a gun so he shot him to protect himself. Kind of hard to believe his story when you consider that he drove off without as much as making a report to local police. But beyond that, no gun was recovered at the scene by local law enforcement.

 

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Published on: November 27, 2012

Filled Under: Justice, Race

Views: 307

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  • palsimon

    No. Murder is not justified; but I have heard those loud BOOMS boxes from cars around me and I absolutely HATE people who do that, make so much NOISE POLLUTION. The only reason they do it is to aggravate quiet, peaceful people. These are NOT beautiful sounds at all.

    • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

      Sounds like you are justifying murder as an acceptable solution to noise pollution though.

      • palsimon

        What is sad is that people are so hateful and inconsiderate of others that it becomes necessary to pass laws to protect people from such disrespectful behavior as to BOOM OTHER CARS AND PEOPLE WITH THEIR LOUD, HORRIBLE BOOOMS. I am not justifying murder, but only state that disrespectful people often become target of violence. I have no sympathy either for this victim or for the killer. The killer will pay the price he well deserves. Here u have a disrespectful person and one who has no control over his temper.

        • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

          “I am not justifying murder, but…”

          *But* signifies that you *are* finding ways to rationalize (with a straw man argument) why Michael Dunn David shot at group of unarmed teenagers inside a SUV and MURDERED Jordan Russell David, for literally *no reason*.
          Disdain for loud music does not give someone the right to resort to excessive violence, flee the scene and then try to falsely defer to the Stand Your Ground law. This isn’t some dystopian society where vigilantism reigns supreme and laws are obsolete (although sometimes I wonder).

          What was he standing his ground against?? He killed a 17 year old kid for NO REASON. And not for nothing, but his girlfriend just may be an accessory to Dunn’s crime… since she fled right along with him. Who cares whether or not the music had “horrible booms”? o_O

          You talk about disrespect… Displaying total disregard for people’s lives and snuffing someone out without any real provocation (other than loud music) is the ultimate act of disrespect. There is no rationalizing what happened here. Dunn seems as if he had some sort of axe to grind against some folks and found his opportunity to do just that.

          • palsimon

            It is true the murderer had no right to KILL, or shoot at the teens. It is NOT true that they were innocent victims. They were provocative and disrespectful of others. It is true the murderer was NOT “standing ground”. He was not protecting his LIFE. He should go to jail. We will have to implement laws to throw in jail all persons who disturb the peace with their BOOMS. The murderer, however, must go to prison or be executed, according to law. He had no right to use the ultimate act of disrespect and he will pay a heavy price for that.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            I didn’t say the teenagers were “innocent”, but I will acknowledge that they were UNARMED victims of vigilantism.

            Michael Dunn David sprayed their SUV with 8 to 9 bullets for *no reason*. It doesn’t matter that they argued back with him… HE was the aggressor. Pulling up alongside a vehicle at a *gas station* and acting like Larry The Law makes *him* the instigator.

            They weren’t parked in front of his private residence… they were at a gas station. Loud music or not, had he pulled into the gas station to do what he went there to do and exited stage left, none of this would have happened. His sense of self-entitlement is what led to this tragic chain of events. I’m not sure why you keep trying to deflect responsibility when only ONE person has been charged with committing a crime, FLEEING THE SCENE, and with essentially murdering someone in cold blood.

            *Michael Dunn David* started it, and it’s why he’s being officially charged with second-degree murder, so in the grand scheme of things the courts will (hopefully) hold this coward accountable for his crime.

          • Morgan Sheridan

            No… they were simply teenagers. Doing teenage things. They did not provoke the confrontation. Mr. Dunn did when he left his vehicle and tried to assume an authority over them that he was not entitled to. They were just being teenagers.

          • palsimon

            If I were the judge I would throw the book at the murderer, in spite of the victims provocation.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            In spite of the victims’ provocation? The shooter is the one who provoked the incident.

          • palsimon

            Even if I had been there, myself, and walk on by without saying a word, that LOUD BOOM WOULD HAVE PROVOKED ME TO FEELING ANGRY AND DISTURBED MY PEACE OF MIND. But, of course, I would be the ONLY VICTIM, BECAUSE i WOULD NOT SHOOT THEM. They would get away with victimizing me, free of charges.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            The fact that you’re emphatic about derailing the conversation by focusing on the lesser infraction while willfully ignoring the primary and more serious crime: That a man instigated an altercation then brandished a gun at the UNARMED targets of his rage, killed one, then fled the scene, says a lot about your frame of thought, and I’m not here for egregious derails and straw man logic. Good day.

          • palsimon

            No. I think you are here to bash evil doer white folks and stand up for black person under all circumstances. I think you are a racist.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            @palsimon:disqus, you’re as ignorant as they get. Since YOU CHOSE to bring race into this debate, then let’s go there, ma’am… I don’t have INSTITUTIONAL POWER, so *I* can’t be RACIST. Why don’t you unpack your own White privilege and supremacy spare me your Merriam Webster’s version of what YOU and most other White people consider Racism to be.
            You obviously have issues with Black people and loud music. You’ve made that loud and clear in your foolish responses.

          • palsimon

            Your fury like this shows exactly where you are coming from, and it is NOT a good place either.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            “Fury”? Lol. You are on this thread trying to justify the unwarranted murder of a 17 year old kid, then proceeded to call me a racist because I disagreed with you, when I never mentioned race up until this point. You can deflect and accuse me of “fury” all you’d like, because you’ve already revealed what *your* issue is. Gas-lighting doesn’t work on me. Enjoy your day.

          • palsimon

            I don’t “know it all” as you do, but as a woman I do know about discrimination and unequal opportunity, and I fought for civil rights, not uncivil rights.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            Well, I’m also a *woman* and I know when I’m being baited by a racist internet troll. Don’t reply *to me* on any other threads, on this site, again. You are an internet flamer and I will publicly call you out if you continue following me from thread to thread trolling my comments on here.

          • hardtimz

            What bash evil doer white folks…wow you have gone too far.

          • palsimon

            I Also think people who provoke with BOOMERS might run across some crazy person willing to die to punish them. There are lots of crazy people out there. Children should be taught at home not to tread on the peace of others. That would be one lesson to take away from this story, as well as the lesson of punishment for murder.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            Ignorant.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            “Children should be taught at home not to tread on the peace of others.”
            Translation: “Black children should be taught not to challenge White authority, because they might get shot and killed.”

          • palsimon

            If I get mad at white folks AND black folks equally for BOOMING at me, do you think that is racist? Fact is, I DO get equally angry no matter what color the offender is. And I don’t go around looking for sympathy or justifying for a person just because he or she is white or black. Wrong is wrong no matter what color the wrong-doer.

          • palsimon

            Your translation just goes to show you are paranoid.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            Possibly. And your constant rambling derails about “Loud Boom Boom Booms” in response to a post about a kid getting shot and killed, shows you’re … out-of-touch.

          • palsimon

            But, I suppose you think, “Aw, shucks, kid. Go ahead and Boom all you want and to hell with what those ‘white’ folks feel. After all, most of the time you can get away with it. HA HA HA HA”

          • http://rippdemup.com/ RiPPa

            What happened to calling the police? Or, maybe even going out of your way (if you’re that annoyed) to complain to management at the gas station? I’m sorry, but this is a free country; and yes, playing music loudly is noise pollution and against the law pending your municipality. However, be that as it may, it does not give you the right to take the law into your own hands.

          • palsimon

            Nobody said he had a right to take the law into his own hands. Just that kids ought to learn a lesson that some crazy people will take the law into their own hands if provoked.

          • http://rippdemup.com/ RiPPa

            So in essence, it’s OK to trample on one’s First Amendment rights (not to mention the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness even if it involves minding your business and sitting in a parked SUV) because there are crazy people (who for all we know was intoxicated having just left a wedding) who believe their right to enact their own form of justice after provoking a confrontation while not being in a position of authority? Hell, why then have laws, right?

          • palsimon

            There are many places where I have no first amendment rights to smoke, and there should be places in public where people have no first amendment right to blast my ear-drums out.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            Misguided.

          • palsimon

            If you mean you can’t guide me, you are right. I think for myself.

          • palsimon

            No one has right to take law into their own hands. But I think some campaigns to demand execution of some people before a trial is nothing short of lynch mobbing. I am sure this man will be found guilty and sentenced. But I will not excuse the victim in THIS particular case. I do not see this victim as an “innocent.” but I feel very grateful that the killer will get a trial and I hope he gets the book thrown at him.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            Listen, I don’t give a DAMN what “white folks feel” (I bet you COULDN’T WAIT to race bait), particularly when you all make every attempt to deny me my humanity, stop, frisk and HARASS US without provocation most times, and make trollish comments on blogs in an attempt to silence poc. Dude was wrong, and hopefully he goes to prison. End of story.

          • palsimon

            You would find the world a lot more hospitable if you stopped going around bashing white people to vent your anger. There are many roses on the thorns of life if you just pay attention.

          • http://twitter.com/Coffey0072 TiffJ

            You’re hilarious. You must be an older person still holding on to an antiquated era that expected (and demanded) people of color to “stay in their place” and genuflect to White Supremacy, lest they get shot, beaten, or killed. How cute. Particularly since the *racial* and *racist* aspect of this ridiculous exchange was started by *you*.

          • hardtimz

            How are you a victim, you are not a resident at the gas station. Make your purchases and move on. Find another gas station before your blowing out someones brains over loud music.

          • palsimon

            BS

          • hardtimz

            Wasn’t like Dunn was a resident at the gas station. He couldn’t be there that long do your business and go.

          • Morgan Sheridan

            The loud music is an irritant, but it’s crap to call it provocation.

          • palsimon

            Irritant noise provokes me to anger, and it is a pet peeve of mine when I am hearing it in the streets. When I was young, 75 years ago, there used to be articles in the newspapers about “good manners.” Never see any of these any more. Good manners seem to have gone out the window in past 30 years. In some countries of the world “good manners” in society are still taught. In U.S all we ever hear are criticisms of each other, and hardly a word about good manners. People in our country do not respect each other. That is very sad. I am also annoyed because I campaigned for Civil Rights in my youth, sat down at lunch counters with black people, marched in the street for civil rights in New Orleans, wore black when Martin died. I did this because I thought I was fighting for “civil rights,” not for the rights of any people to rudely annoy and provoke and go around bashing all white people, as I am seeing today. These are NOT “CIVIL” RIGHTS. They are UNCIVIL, and annoy me.

          • docbio

            If you truly fought for Civil Rights, then you would understand the entire movement. I’ve had white kids pull up next to me at traffic lights and the music was so loud it vibrated our car. Yes, its noise and can be irritating, but it doesn’t give you the right to kill.

          • hardtimz

            Doesn’t sound like that’s what you would do.

  • Moni

    In another article I read, Dunn pulled up alongside the SUV that the teenagers were in. It seems to me Dunn was on a “do what I say or else” kind of mission. It’s absolute BS for him to even try to use the Stand Your Ground law as a defense.

    • palsimon

      Stand Your Ground must mean you are defending a treat to your LIFE, NOT to your EARS!. The Stand Your Ground Defense will not float unless they get a crazy jury like the ones Casey Anthony and OJ Simpson had!

      • docbio

        OJ didn’t have a crazy jury, he had Mark Fuhrman, the racist cop on tape admitting he planted evidence on minorities.

  • palsimon

    All precautions should be considered: Take guns off the market, get “help” for crazy people by providing easy access to good health insurance, raise kids to respect the rights of others to peaceful streets without “unnecessary, disruptive” noises, teach citizens to respect one another, get anger-management classes if you can’t control your anger, and, of course, pass laws that make it easy for police to see potential conflict and come to the rescue. This is NOT a race issue, as some would like it to be classified. It is an issue of social unrest among citizens which comes about as a result of political and economic bad times. It also can be attributed to people who seek out instances that they can label as “racist” in order to stir up anger between races. Some people just LOVE conflict.

  • Morgan Sheridan

    No sale. I don’t buy Dunn’s excuse for a second. He’s nothing but a coward.