FILE – In a Aug. 23, 2018 file photo, Michael Drejka sits in court during a bond hearing at the Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater, Fla. Drejka, who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a dispute over a handicapped parking space, told detectives he fired because he had been pushed to the ground and he feared the man was about to “finish” what he started, video played at his trial Thursday, August 22, 2019 shows.(Jim Damaske/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — A white Florida man who told detectives that he was irritated by people who illegally park in handicapped spots will be sentenced in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man outside a convenience store.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled Thursday in the case of 49-year-old Michael Drejka in Clearwater. A jury found him guilty of manslaughter in August. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
In July of 2018, Drejka confronted Markeis McGlockton’s girlfriend for parking in a handicapped space while McGlockton went inside a convenience store with his 5-year-old son. Security video recorded McGlockton leaving the store and shoving Drejka to the ground. Seconds later, Drejka pulled out a handgun and shot the 28-year-old McGlockton as he backed away.
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