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A man who shot and killed another man during a parking dispute in downtown St. Petersburg was acquitted of murder on Wednesday.
On September 28, 2021, Central Avenue and Dr. Donovan Elmalik Gamel Shabazz, 49, was initially charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the death of Shane Tyler Boyd, 26, near the intersection of Martin Luther King and Martin Luther King. Junior Street.
In January, prosecutors charged Shabazz with third-degree murder after lawyers representing Boyd’s family notified the state attorney’s office of changes to Florida’s stand-your-ground law that allows the state to charge him with murder. told the Tampa Bay Times.
According to police, Boyd and his girlfriend, Caitlin Benson, got into an argument with Shabazz and another person, listed as Paul O’Brien Robinson, over a parking incident. Boyd alleged that Robinson almost backed into his car. Robinson and Benson got out of the vehicle and fought. Boyd and Shabazz, a passenger in Robinson’s car, argued outside their vehicles. Then everyone except Boyd got into their vehicles.
Shabazz opened and closed his car door, slamming into the side of Boyd’s vehicle, Davidson said. Boyd grabs Shabazz’s door handle to stop him. That’s when Shabazz fired three shots, two of which struck Boyd, Davidson said.
However, Ron Kurpiers, who represented Shabazz, said in a phone interview that there was no physical evidence, including vehicle markings, that his client had slammed a door into Boyd’s truck. Boyd opened Shabazz’s car door, grabbed Shabazz by the neck and reached for the weapon. Shabazz then shot Boyd in self-defense, Kurpiers said.
On Wednesday, after nearly two hours of deliberation, a jury returned a not guilty verdict.
Had Shabazz been convicted, he would have faced a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Davidson said he was disappointed with the verdict.
“I think this is a horrific example of a senseless killing,” Davidson said.
Kurpiers said Shabazz was relieved by the verdict.
“Obviously, we are very sorry for the loss of this young man’s life,” Kurpiers said. “We don’t know why he acted the way he did that night and attacked my client. But my client had the right to defend himself, and he did. The jury agreed. “
However, Shabazz remains in prison as he faces federal charges of possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana with intent to sell. It was unclear Thursday if the charges were related to the shooting.
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