Free Republic

A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office homicide detective who has played a leading role in the case against parking-lot shooter Michael Drejka was arrested and fired after he showed up drunk to a death investigation scene, deputies said. George D. Moffett Jr., 48, was off-duty before he responded about 10:30 p.m. Thursday from his home in Riverview to a fatal shooting at 10610 Gandy Boulevard in St. Petersburg, according to the Sheriff’s Office. After he got out of his unmarked agency car, deputies noticed he smelled like alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and was slurring his speech, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Michael Drejka, the 47-year old shooter of 28-year-old Markeis McGlockton over a July 19 dispute about a handicap parking spot, has been arrested and charged with manslaughter, reports the Tampa Bay Times and other news sources. He is being held on $100,000 bail in Pinellas County Jail.We previously covered this case immediately after it occurred here:Law of Self Defense VIDEO: Just because it's lawful to present the gun doesn't mean it's lawful to press the triggerand here:Law of Self Defense: VIDEO: Shove-Shoot Case Sheriff's StatementDrejak has a potential, if marginal, justification claim of self-defense here. The key issue is whether...

holding a live press conf now. NAACP didn't show up. Sheriff is defending his position not to arrest. Said it's still winding it's way through the process. Drejka said nothing threatening to the woman in the car and no words were exchanged between McGlockton & Drejka. They viewed and reviewed the video and he stands his own ground on the decision not to arrest. Not a lot of other info about details (ie was McGlockton armed, etc)

Markeis McGlockton and Michael Drejka both overreacted during their brief, fatal encounter in the parking lot of a Florida convenience store last week. McGlockton overreacted by pushing Drejka to the ground, and Drejka overreacted by drawing a pistol and shooting McGlockton in the chest. Although it is hard to see how Drejka's use of lethal force could have been justified, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri declined to arrest him, claiming his hands were tied by Florida's Stand Your Ground law. But that is not true, and Gualtieri's misrepresentation of the law has renewed misguided criticism of Florida's approach to self-defense,...