CLEARWATER, Fla. — The trial of Clearwater convenience store shooter Michael Drejka begins Wednesday morning in Pinellas County.
Five men and one woman have been seated on the jury tasked with deciding his fate. Drejka, 49, is charged with manslaughter in the 2018 death of Markeis McGlockton.
Investigators say Drejka got into an argument with McGlockton's girlfriend Britany Jacobs about the couple being parked in a handicap parking space. The family's 3-year-old and 4-month-old were in the car with Jacobs while McGlockton and their 5-year-old son ran into the Circle A Food Store on Sunset Point Road in Clearwater.
While they were inside, Drejka confronted Jacobs about being parked in the reserved spot. She claims he began yelling.
When McGlockton and the 5-year-old walked back outside, they saw the ongoing argument between Drejka and Jacobs. McGlockton walked over and shoved Drejka to the ground. According to Jacobs, he told Drejka to back away from her. Seconds later, Drejka pulled out a pistol and shot McGlockton once in the chest.
McGlockton collapsed in front of his 5-year-old. He died at the hospital.
In an interview with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, Drejka claimed McGlockton was stepping toward him when Drejka fired the gun. But, according to autopsy and investigative documents obtained by 10News, McGlockton was backing up and turning away at the time he was shot.
The case has drawn the attention of prominent civil rights advocates, including Rev. Al Sharpton, because McGlockton, a black man, was unarmed when he was killed. As attorneys were questioning potential jurors, they asked them questions about whether any of them would have problems with the racial components of the case.
The court originally planned to have four alternates, but three alternate jurors have been chosen: two women and a man.
The case has also brought back discussions about Florida's "stand your ground" immunity, which the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office originally used as justification not to arrest Drejka. However, after reviewing the case, the state attorney's office decided to pursue a manslaughter charge against him.
It's important to note: Drejka ultimately decided not to try to use "stand your ground" immunity to shield himself from prosecution. Rather, his attorneys opted to proceed straight to trial with a standard self-defense case.
The opening statements began at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. The case will be streamed in its entirety on wtsp.com. You can also catch the opening statements on the 10News Facebook and YouTube pages.
During their opening statement, prosecutors said Drejka used a 21-foot rule sometimes used by law enforcement as a measure of when officers are allowed to shoot at someone with a weapon. The prosecution claims Drejka used that reasoning as an excuse.
Prosecutors claim Drejka used a "force multiplier" rule in deciding to shoot McGlockton. As they present their case, prosecutors say the jury will hear from a use-of-force expert who will explain force multiplier reasoning and why neither that nor the 21-foot rule should apply in this case.
Drejka’s lawyers say he was acting in self-defense. The video, they say, shows McGlockton leaving the store, then violently pushing Drejka to the ground.
It’s an 11-second confrontation that they say needs to be considered in real-time -- not picked apart frame by frame.
What other people are reading right now:
- The coolest you should keep your house is 78 degrees, federal program recommends
- Deputies: Florida man botched castration procedure for man he met on the dark web
- Florida man accused of hitting elderly woman, dousing her with chemicals and lighting her on fire
- Man crushed to death when dumping trailer falls on him
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.