LAKELAND, Fla. -- Hours after fatally shooting an alleged shoplifter after his store, former Lakeland city commissioner Michael Dunn told detectives he "was in fear" of the suspect.
Dunn is facing a second-degree murder charge in the Oct. 3 fatal shooting of Christobal Lopez, who allegedly was trying to steal a hatchet from Dunn's Vets Army Navy & Surplus store on North Florida Avenue.
Newly-released transcripts contain hundreds of pages of police interviews with witnesses and Dunn himself. It’s the first opportunity the public has seen Dunn’s own statements and perspective as to what occurred.
Lakeland police interviewed coworkers and witnesses who describe details of a deadly video-taped confrontation between the former Lakeland Commissioner and 50-year old Christobal Lopez.
“I don’t know, it didn’t look good,” said Lakeland resident Katie Stoer, who had already seen the video. Stoer wasn’t particularly swayed by Dunn’s words.
The 29-page transcript contains Dunn’s own words. His lawyer is present as he’s questioned by two Lakeland detectives.
Dunn Transcript by 10News WTSP on Scribd
Dunn describes seeing Lopez conceal a $15 hatchet in his pants. Dunn then tells investigators it’s not the first time he’s confronted alleged shoplifters since he started his business in 1991.
“If I were going to guess, as far as stopping shoplifters, either there in the store - or chase, probably a dozen I would venture to say,” he tells them.
“You know, he had to chase people out of the store. There’s no reason to involve a gun no matter what. That’s my opinion,” said Lakeland resident Diane Hurles.
Dunn’s most recent legal representative, high-profile defense attorney Mark O’Mara says Dunn’s statement, just hours after the incident, might be inaccurate at times due to trauma and adrenaline.
O’Mara, who was brought on as counsel alter, says he would have preferred Dunn had waited a few days before speaking with detectives.
“You know, it’s a statement he gave,” said O’Mara. “I think it’s just a straight-forward statement by him. I’m not worried about what he said.”
Dunn explains to detectives why he felt threatened when Lopez removed the hatchet from his pants - raising it.
“At the point that it was at that higher level, like I said before, not at a chopping level to this respect - above the head, but to a level where it was - seemed like chest high or so. And the motion, the shoulder motion was coming backwards, it seemed,” Dunn told detectives.
“It’s not the way the video looks to us in the cold light of day,” said O’Mara. “It’s what Mike was perceiving at the time he was perceiving it. And that is what’s going to be most important and we go forward with this case.”
Detectives also asked Dunn why he didn’t just let Lopez leave.
Dunn tells them “I wish it didn’t happen,” but that it’s his practice to try to detain shoplifters. “It might be fair to say that if I just stepped back and let somebody come in and take what they wanted that there would be no issue,” said Dunn.
“Well, that’s still no reason to shoot a man because he shoplifts something,” said Lakeland resident Gary Davis. “You can chase him down, call the police whatever. You don’t have to shoot him.”
Investigators and people who’ve seen the video still question what might have happened in this case if Dunn would have just let go of Lopez’s shirt as he tried to exit.
One Lakeland detective eventually asks Dunn if he thinks someone deserves to lose their life over a $15 hatchet. But Dunn’s lawyer quickly instructs him not to answer that question.
Dunn was under no legal obligation to speak with Lakeland Police. Whether it will help or hurt his defense remains to be seen.
O’Mara says he does not expect Dunn’s statement, or the release of the transcript, to affect their ability to find an impartial jury should the case go to trial.
Court documents also show interviews with multiple witnesses, including Lopez's father, who was present during the shooting, and two employees who were working at the time.
Lopez's father told detectives he and Lopez had been in Lakeland for a month and that they had been in Dunn's store once before. He told detectives they were in the store about 5 minutes before the shooting.
Lopez's father said after hearing someone was going to call the police, his son attempted to leave out the front door. He said he then heard two shots, but he did not see where Dunn grabbed the gun from.
The man said before he and his son went to the store that he, Lopez had "two drinks from a bottle of alcohol."
In interviews with detectives, both employees of the store said Lopez had the hatchet raised as he was trying to leave the store. They both also told detectives they saw Lopez "forcefully pushing past" Dunn, who was near the entrance to the store.
Dunn pleaded not guilty in Lopez's death and resigned as a city commissioner after his arrest.
Dunn has been on house arrest since earlier this month. He's been represented by James R. "Rusty" Franklin and Mark O'Mara, a former attorney for George Zimmerman.
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