Claudius Smith, 32, (left) was charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of 21-year-old Ricardo Sanes in MetroWest on Jan. 16, police said. (Orange County Jail, Orlando Police)
Posted on 01/18/2014 1:26:53 PM PST by smokingfrog
The gunman accused of chasing and killing a 21-year-old man at a west Orlando apartment complex on Thursday told police he was pursuing a suspected burglar and acted in self-defense after he was attacked.
A police account of the shooter's self-defense claim obtained by the Orlando Sentinel suggests this could be the latest local homicide in which the state's controversial "stand your ground" law becomes a factor.
Police were called to the shooting just before noon Thursday at the Fountains at MetroWest apartments. They arrived to find 21-year-old Ricardo Sanes dead in the grass, surrounded by six .45-caliber shell casings.
The alleged shooter, 32-year-old Claudius Smith, was caught later Thursday. Smith told detectives that he had shot someone "in self defense," according to a police report.
Smith said he was inside his house on Carter Street when his girlfriend, looking at a outdoor surveillance monitor, spotted someone in dark clothing "walking around his yard," who "was last seen climbing over the fence into" the apartment complex.
Smith told police he had been having "a recent problem with burglaries at his house ... and he was certain the unknown male was responsible," a police account states, so he "began chasing the unknown male."
According to police, Smith admitted jumping the fence into the apartment complex, armed with a .45-caliber handgun, where he said he saw Sanes "looking into windows of apartments as he walked past them."
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.orlandosentinel.com ...
Although this time, it looks like a black shooting a Hispanic.
Each one of those will need to be accounted for in the SYG defense. I don't recall the last time i heard of a case with that may rounds spent. Not make a judgement either way but it's food to ponder in the context.
INBN
Claudius Smith, 32, (left) was charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of 21-year-old Ricardo Sanes in MetroWest on Jan. 16, police said. (Orange County Jail, Orlando Police)
When police told Smith that Sanes appeared to only have wounds to his back, Smith reportedly claimed those must have been exit wounds. He admitted he didn't know Sanes had a gun before police told him
If this is true, this incident does not even remotely meet the SYG law
Also, I might add the "Paper" seems to be implying it's a SYG case where as there is nothing in the article that says the authorities say it was...
The Sentinel’s headline is furthering the myth that SYG was a factor in Martin/Zimmerman.
Murder 1, book ‘ em Dano.
I live in Orl and read this today and laughed that the cop brought up all 6 shots were in the back and the guy said those were exit wounds! LOL
I don't look for it to happen but it would only be fair.
----
Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it.
www.AnySoldier.com
(An entirely free service)
Chasing plus shooting in the back plus no evidence that the dead guy assaulted or threatened the shooter SEVERELY hampers any “self defense” argument
Up to witnesses.
No good witnesses? Up to forensics (i.e. is the bullet entry in the back?).
No definite answers from forensics? Not Guilty.
And since bullet entries are in the back, it is pretty much a cut and dried murder or manslaughter.
I wonder if maybe I should get one of those backyard
surveilence systems, the neighbors cats are starting
to bug me, I could bring out the laser pointer and
make them run in circles till they drop dead.
Yup, the Zimmerman shot in self defense.
Wellll now..where are Al and Jesse defending this poor young black man who just tried to save his girlfriend????
This one is going to be tricky. Given the facts presented so far it is going to be a difficult case to try.
Importantly, the defendant or his girlfriend made a very bad mistake by trying to hide the gun or surveillance video.
The prior record of the decedent will certainly matter, but may not be admissible.
Sounds more like a “two Trayvons meet” story than a “stand your ground” story.
So.... He caught the guy and then shot him, like say, point blank, while the dead guy's gun stayed in his belt?
How else would the casings be around the dead guy?
Oh Good...
I bet Jesse Jackson is excited to hold “Justice for Ricardo” rallies!
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