STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

White Man On Trial For Fatally Shooting Black Man Over Parking Spot Allegedly Looked 'Proud' After Killing Him

Michael Drejka says he killed Markeis McGlockton because he felt he was in danger.

The trial for a White man accused of shooting and killing 28-year-old Markeis McGlockton in July 2018 outside of a food store began on Wednesday (August 21).

Since the shooting, 49-year-old Michael Drejka has maintained he acted in self-defense during the incident. 

Video shows McGlockton, who is Black, confronting Drejka after he allegedly confronted McGlockton’s girlfriend about parking in a handicapped spot in Clearwater, Florida.

Florida is a “Stand Your Ground” state, and it's a statute Drejka is reportedly pridefully standing behind. Right after the shooting he allegedly told witnesses to the shooting, “Don’t worry, it’s all on camera.”

Surveillance footage shows McGlockton’s girlfriend in the parking lot in her car with her two young children when she is confronted by Drejka about parking in a handicapped space. 

When McGlockton ran back into the parking lot from the store, he shoved Drejka onto the ground and backed away from him. That’s when Drejka pulled out a gun and shot McGlockton in the chest. McGlockton later died from the gunshot wound.

Drejka was not arrested when police arrived on the scene due to the Stand Your Ground law. But after reviewing the footage of the incident, prosecutors decided to charge him, claiming Drejka wasn’t likely in real danger.

The footage sparked outrage on social media after it was released and went viral. Witnesses during the beginning of the trial seemed to further indicate Drejka’s overzealousness during similar past interactions.

The first witness to testify was an African-American man who told the court Drejka threatened to shoot him over parking in a handicapped spot four months prior to the McGlockton shooting.

Richard Kelly recalled how in February 2018, he parked in the same handicapped spot outside the Circle A food store where McGlockton died when he found Drejka taking photos of his truck. He then told the court Drejka confronted him and said he’d have shot him if he had a gun.

Vicki Conrad, another witness who saw the shooting and aftermath play out, said Drejka was unshaken and seemed happy with what he’d done. "His demeanor was, you know, uh, like, proud," she said in a transcript with a detective. Police called to testify who were on the scene during the shooting testified Drejka was “calm and collected” afterward.

Brittany Jacobs, Kelly’s girlfriend, also testified on Wednesday. She says she was frightened when Drejka approached her vehicle with her children inside. “I just wanted this man to leave me and my babies alone,” she said to the court.  

Other witnesses called to testify, including the owner of the store where the shooting took place, described Drejka as a “nosy” person.

The trial continues.

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