A controversial self-defense law is back in the spotlight after Ajike 'AJ' Owens, a Black mother of four, was shot and killed through a closed door in Ocala, Fla., on Friday following a dispute with her neighbor.
June 06, 2023 at 3:27 pm EDT
Authorities have not made any arrests and say that Florida’s “stand your ground” law is a crucial piece of the puzzle in this case. Before an arrest can be made, “he [Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods] needs probable cause, that’s what he told me,” Thomas said. Since 2021, Owens, 35, and the shooter, who is white, have reached out to the police a number of times, according to Woods, who added that law enforcement has responded to at least six to eight incidents. “This has been a neighborhood feud over time,” he said.
“[Owens] knocked on the door once. When there was no answer she simply replied, ‘I know you hear me.’ There was no confrontation. At the time that was said the shot rang,” Thomas said. “What we have to rule out is whether this deadly force was justified or not before we can even make the arrest,” he explained. “And sometimes it becomes difficult and sometimes it becomes an obstacle. But only a temporary obstacle because it will be moved and the final answer will come forward.”, told Yahoo News that"from the facts available so far, this does not appear to be a valid case for a 'stand your ground' defense.
But Bill Sheaffer, a legal expert for Channel 9, a local Florida news outlet, says the"stand your ground" law could be a factor in this case, adding that the sheriff's"“Since the law provides greater protection for an individual that’s in their home or in an automobile to use deadly force, one could argue that she was justified if she was in fear that this woman was breaking into her home,” he said.
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