Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 8-23-19

Local
Jury In Murder Case Void Of African Americans
Dontae Morris Seeks New Trial In Murder Of Police Officers
The jury selection for a man accused of shooting an unarmed Black man has been completed. The jury does not have any Blacks on it. It is composed of 4 white men, and 1 Asian man, and 1 white woman.
In August, 2018, a war- rant was issued for Michael Drejka in the shooting death of Markeis Mc- Glockton. The murder took place on July 19, 2018, in the parking lot of a Clearwater convenience store.
According to police ac- counts, Drejka became en- raged after Ms. Britany Jacobs, girlfriend of Markeis McGlockton, pulled into a handicapped parking slot at the conven- ience store. McGlockton and their then 5-year-old son
MICHAEL DREJKA
went into the store. Ms. Ja- cobs remained in the car.
Drejka approached Ms. Jacobs and became engaged in an argument with her over parking in the slot. Mc- Glockton came out of the store and pushed Drejka to the ground.
The investigators said McGlockton was between
MARKEIS McGLOCKTON
10 and 15 feet away from Drejka when the fatal bullet was fired. Drejka claimed he was in fear of his life.
However, after reviewing the case and the video that captured the murder, Attor- ney Bernie McCabe issued a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with manslaughter.
DONTAE MORRIS ... Seeks new trial
OFFICER DAVID CURTIS AND OFFICER JEFFREY KOCAB
... Tampa Police officers killed on June 29, 2010
Earlier this week, a Hills- borough Circuit judge began hearing evidence in one of the murder cases Dontae Morris was convicted of. He is seeking a new trial, stating that he had inadequate legal representation. The hearing is expected to last about 4 days with both sides calling witnesses.
Officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab, both 31, had conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in which Morris was a passenger. The traffic stop took place on N. 50th Street during the early morning hours.
Morris was convicted of fatally shooting both officers and fleeing the scene on foot. The murders launched a na- tionwide manhunt and the largest cash reward in Hills- borough County. He surren- dered to police about a week after the murders.
Morris was convicted of the double murder and given the death penalty.
Police said ballistics
proved that the handgun that killed Derek Anderson was the same weapon used in the murders of Officers Kocab and Curtis. The two officers were the last two people Morris was con- victed of killing.
In July 2015, a jury con- victed Morris of shooting 21-year-old Derek Ander- son in the back on May 18, 2010. Anderson was the first of the five killed.
He was also convicted of killing Rodney Jones on May 31, 2010. Jones, 41, died after being shot outside the Cotton Club, 2405 W. Al- bany Avenue. He was sen- tenced to life in prison without the possibility of pa- role.
Morris has also been charged with the murder of 25-year-old Harold Wright.
Wright’s body was dis- covered on the side of the road in Palm River on June 8, 2010. He had also been fa- tally wounded by gunfire.
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