A 16-year-old high school student who repeatedly threatened on Twitter to shoot up his school in Sarasota did not commit a crime because his threats were not directed at anyone in particular, the second District Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday.
florida violence
Man Wounded By Gunshot Limps Into Hospital, But Cops Skeptical of Shooting Account
Alfred Wright arrived at Florida Hospital Flagler with a gunshot to the thigh and claimed he’d been shot by an assailant either in Palm Coast or Flagler Beach. His story unraveled from there, with his girlfriend providing a different account.
Lawmakers Reload to Allow Students to Carry Concealed Weapons on Florida Campuses
The proposal drew heavy debate during the 2015 legislative session, with gun-rights advocates supporting the idea and many university-system leaders opposing it.
Cases Involving Police Shootings Across Florida Spur FDLE to Seek More Investigators
FDLE always investigates shootings involving police in local agencies. Those investigations have increased 40 percent last year alone, and 100 percent in the past five years.
R.J. Larizza Says No Charges Against Sheriff’s Deputy in Second Fatal Shooting in 2 Years
State Attorney R.J. Larizza said today no charges will be filed against Volusia County Sheriff’s deputy Joel Hernandez, who shot and killed a man who was allegedly reaching for a gun while sitting in his car at a towing yard in Daytona Beach in September 2014.
Crime Rate Falls to Historic Low in Flagler, Mirroring State and National Trend
Flagler’s crime rate is 40 percent lower than Florida’s, and in 2014 it was 29 percent lower than its peak in 2007. Bunnell continues to account for a disproportionate number of arrests.
Michael Dunn Is Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Shooting of Jordan Davis as Jury Rejects Self-Defense Claim
Michael Dunn murdered 17-year-old Jordan Davis at a gas station in Jacksonville the day after Thanksgiving 2012, in a case that again put the focus on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and racial implications.
Senate Panel Unanimously Approves Minor Changes to Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law
The bill would clarify that a law enforcement agency must fully investigate whether a person claiming self-defense has lawfully used force. It also would no longer preclude lawsuits from third parties who are injured by negligent conduct used in self-defense.
Sheriff Jim Manfre: How To Restore Common Sense to Stand Your Ground
The public’s valid concern over the vigilante-style actions of certain people who have watched too many Western movies should be dealt with through legislative action, argues Sheriff Jim Manfre, starting with a definition of self-defense that doesn;t leave its determination in the perpetrator’s hands.
NRA-Backed Measure to Let Armed Vets and Ex-Cops In Schools Triggers Controversy
Under the bill, opposed by the state School Board Association, principals and school superintendents could appoint staff members or volunteers who are military veterans with honorable discharges, active military or retired law enforcement officials as gun-toting “designees.”