Michael Dunn, Florida Man, Invokes 'Stand Your Ground' Law After Shooting Black Teen

[Sekhmets Daughter]

55. SYG, IMHO, has caused as many problems as it has solved.

I absolutely believe in the right to defend yourself, your family, your friends and even total strangers if the circumstances warrant. I also believe that any time someone is shot there must be an investigation. The police changed their story after weeks of public outcry. There was no "initial investigation" That was the problem, they simply accepted Zimmerman's word that Martin was beating him and ignored the rest of it. They knew damned well Zimmerman had been told not to follow the Martin kid and not to get out of his truck. I think SYG laws give some people the idea that they can be confrontational...sadly these are the very people who shouldn't own guns in the first place. Tell me, would you start harassing a carload of teenagers because you didn't like their loud music? I would tend to doubt it as you seem to be a reasonable person. WTF was Dunn thinking when he got into it with them? Those kids weren't armed, but what if they had been? One against how many?

Here's how I would change the SYG Law here in FL: The shooter is always taken into custody and an investigation opened immediately.
If offered as a defense, a SYG hearing takes place in a very timely fashion, within 3 days. I would venture to say that anyone who hadn't gone looking for trouble would be cleared of any wrongdoing very quickly. If the case reaches a prosecutor it is only because it failed the smell test of SYG.

While you have a right to own a gun, the Martin kid had a right to defend himself from a stalker...and make no mistake that is exactly what Zimmerman was, a stalker armed with a deadly weapon.

Here's another way to look at SYG. I am a silver-haired old lady and all I have to do is come across you while we are both alone, say in a parking garage, shout help a few times then shoot you dead...without fear of prosecution.