Officials said on Saturday, a Florida city commissioner has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder for shooting a man. Reuters reports that he suspected the man of trying to shoplift a hatchet from his military surplus store.
Michael Dunn is a commissioner in the city of Lakeland between Tampa and Orlando. his attorney told local media, he was acting in self-defense. Florida’s “stand your ground” law removes the legal responsibility to retreat from a dangerous situation. It allows the use of deadly force when a person feels greatly threatened.
But prosecutors rejected that explanation for the Oct. 3 shooting. Lakeland police spokesman Gary Gross said in an email, Dunn was arrested at his lawyer’s office late on Friday.