Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 7-27-18

Features
Councilman Calls For Immediate Repeal Of ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law
10 Years Later:
Mom Still Seek Answers In Teen’s Murder
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last Thursday, 28-year-old Markeis McGlockton was shot and killed outside the Cir- cle A, 1201 Sunset Point Road, in Clearwater. In less than 24 hours following the shooting, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri ruled the shooting as being a “Stand Your Ground” case and announced that Michael Drejka would not be arrested.
The shooting and the ruling has sparked an outcry of injus- tice in the Tampa Bay Area as well as throughout the nation. On Tuesday, Tampa City Councilman Harry Cohen issued the following statement in response to the fatal shoot- ing of Markeis McGlockton in Clearwater.
“Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Friday that an arrest would not be made due to a judgment that the shooting fell within the bounds of Florida's controver- sial "Stand Your Ground" law: “In 2012, I stood before 900 people at the 34th Street Church of God and called for justice for Trayvon Martin and a repeal of the Stand Your Ground law. Neither has hap- pened; in fact, the Florida Leg- islature made the law worse in 2017 and we just saw the ram- ifications of this last week in a Clearwater convenience store parking lot.
“Markeis McGlockton was a young father of three children. He will never get to see his children grow up, at- tend their graduations or go to their weddings.
“At the end of this Thursday night's Tampa City Council
MARKEIS McGLOCKTON
meeting, I will make a motion to have Tampa City Council formally request that Gover- nor Rick Scott call a special session of the Florida Legisla- ture to repeal “Stand Your Ground” and leave it up to judges and juries to determine if this type of case is self-de- fense.
“This is not a 2nd Amend- ment issue, this is not a parti- san issue, this is an issue of constitutional due process and ending a law that- in too many instances - has made us ques- tion whether either a victim or their shooter has received the justice that they deserve. It is about ending a law that makes it less safe for all Floridians as we go about our daily lives,” the Councilman, who is also a Mayoral candidate for the City of Tampa, said.
The Shooting
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Ms. Britany Jacobs pulled into a handicapped parking space. Ms. Jacobs’ boyfriend, Markeis McGlockton, and their 5-year-old son went into the store.
Detectives said Jacobs was waiting outside when she was approached by 47-year-old
HARRY COHEN City Councilman
Michael Drejka. The two be- came engaged in an argument over Ms. Jacobs parking in the handicap space, police said.
Witnesses alerted the clerk about the argument in the parking lot. At that point, Mc- Glockton went outside the store, and walked over to Drejka. Witnesses told police McGlockton forcibly pushed Drejka and Drejka fell to the ground.
Detectives said that while Drejka was on the ground, he took out a handgun and fired one shot at McGlockton, hit- ting him in the chest. Mc- Glockton died as a result of his injuries.
Drejka had a concealed weapon permit at the time of the killing.
Earlier this week, Mc- Glockton’s family as well as the Clearwater/Upper Pinellas County Branch of the NAACP has called for justice.
Although Sheriff Gual- tieri made the statement that no arrest will be made, the Bennie McCabe, Pinellas and Pasco Counties State At- torney’s Office will make the final determination if charges will be filed against Drejka.
MS. ANGELA PEARSON ... Wants justice for her son
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Ms. Angela Pearson has been living for the moment when she would get the an- swers she most wants. The in- formation she seeks is, “Who killed my son and why?”
Ms. Pearson has sought those answers for several years. Friday, July 27th, will mark the 10th anniversary of this tragedy. It was 4 a.m., on July 27, 2008, that someone kicked in the door at 2536 Walnut Street. Levi Dixon, Jr., who was the only person at the house at the time, was fatally shot. He was just 17-years-old and his mother’s only child.
The case grew cold after the shooting and detectives with the Tampa Police Department have not been able to solve the case. They have been unable to give Ms. Pearson the things she seeks --- answers and jus- tice.
“It has been 10 years and I’m having a rough time dealing with this. I really miss him and I’m still hoping that someone with the right answers will come forward.”
Ms. Pearson said Levi was not supposed to be at the house where the murder took place. She had asked the owner of the home to not allow him to visit. He left with a friend that lived down the street from his grand- mother.
“I don’t understand how he ended up at that house. I don’t understand why someone would allow a child to come to their home against the parent’s wishes. I was told that he fell asleep, but I don’t understand why he wasn’t sent home before
LEVI DIXON, JR. 10/10/1990 --- 7/27/2008
the occupants of the house left. Why would they leave a teenager alone in their home, even if he was asleep?”
Levi was a gifted gospel singer about to enter his senior year at Blake High School. He had planned to continue his ed- ucation and major in music at Bethune-Cookman University. His goal was to become an R & B singer. However, a gunman’s bullet ended his life and has left his mother broken-hearted and looking for answers.
“I want justice. It’s just not fair. I have to live through this pain every minute of every day. I can’t touch my son or hear his voice. I will never be able to wit- ness the important things such as marrying, accomplishing his goals, or even becoming a par- ent himself. I have to live with this void in my life and no one has been held accountable for his death,” she said.
Although a decade has passed, Ms. Pearson re- mains hopeful that this case will be solved during her lifetime.
Steve Hegarty, spokes- man for the Tampa Police De- partment said, “This is still an active case and detectives are working on it. If anyone has any information about it, we are asking them to come forward.”
Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to the identity, arrest and con- viction of the person responsi- ble for this murder.
Anyone with information about the murder who wishes to remain anonymous can do so by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS, or www.crimestopperstb.com.
PAGE 2-A LORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018