Killing of Markeis McGlockton

On the afternoon of July 19, 2018, Markeis McGlockton, 28, was fatally shot by Michael Drejka, 47, in the parking lot of the Circle A Food Store on Sunset Point Road in Clearwater, Florida. The confrontation began when Drejka parked illegally and approached McGlockton's girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, to confront her for parking in the store's disabled space without a placard. Jacobs remained in the vehicle with the couple's two younger children while McGlockton was inside the store with their five-year-old son. A customer alerted McGlockton to the argument outside, and surveillance video showed McGlockton exiting the store and shoving Drejka to the ground. Approximately three to five seconds later, Drejka drew a .40-caliber handgun. McGlockton began backing away and turning toward the store when Drejka fired a single shot, striking him. McGlockton ran back inside, collapsed in front of his young son, and was later pronounced dead at Morton Plant Hospital. He was unarmed.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, initially declined to arrest Drejka, citing Florida's "stand your ground" law and Drejka's claim of self-defense. This decision drew widespread criticism from politicians across the political spectrum, civil rights organizations, and activists, and prompted protests, vigils, and a call from several U.S. lawmakers for a Department of Justice civil rights investigation. The case drew comparisons to the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin due to similarities involving race, self-defense claims, and Florida's stand-your-ground statute.

The investigation was subsequently transferred to State Attorney Bernie McCabe's office. On August 13, 2018, Drejka was formally charged with one count of manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors also cited several prior incidents in which Drejka was alleged to have threatened other drivers with a gun during unrelated confrontations.

Drejka's trial began on August 19, 2019, by which point he was no longer pursuing a stand-your-ground defense. On August 23, 2019, a jury found Drejka guilty of manslaughter with a firearm. On October 10, 2019, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with credit for 92 days served; he had faced up to 30 years. The judge cited Drejka's cooperation with police and lack of prior convictions in declining to impose the maximum sentence, while also describing him as having tried to self-appoint himself as a handicapped parking enforcer.

The case generated substantial national and international media coverage and sustained political attention, including commentary from gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidates in Florida's 2018 elections, and remarks from civil rights figures such as Al Sharpton. In December 2021, Florida's Second District Court of Appeal upheld Drejka's conviction and sentence. Drejka has been imprisoned at Lancaster Correctional Institution, where he was reportedly attacked and wounded by another inmate in February 2020. <parameter name="timeline">[ {"date": "2018-07-19", "event": "Michael Drejka fatally shoots Markeis McGlockton in a Clearwater, Florida convenience store parking lot following a dispute over a disabled parking space; McGlockton dies at Morton Plant Hospital."}, {"date": "2018-07-20", "event": "Sheriff Bob Gualtieri holds a press conference announcing Drejka will not be charged, citing Florida's stand-your-ground law."}, {"date": "2018-07-21", "event": "First protest related to the shooting held at the Circle A Food Store."}, {"date": "2018-07-27", "event": "U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and other Democratic lawmakers send a letter requesting a DOJ civil rights investigation into the shooting."}, {"date": "2018-08-01", "event": "Sheriff Gualtieri announces the investigation has been turned over to State Attorney Bernie McCabe."}, {"date": "2018-08-05", "event": "Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump lead the Markeis McGlockton Rally for Justice in Clearwater."}, {"date": "2018-08-13", "event": "Drejka is formally charged with one count of manslaughter."}, {"date": "2018-08-17", "event": "Drejka pleads not guilty to the manslaughter charge."}, {"date": "2019-08-19", "event": "Drejka's trial begins."}, {"date": "2019-08-23", "event": "Drejka is found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm."}, {"date": "2019-10-10", "event": "Drejka is sentenced to 20 years in prison."}, {"date": "2020-02-11", "event": "Drejka is reportedly attacked and wounded by another inmate at Lancaster Correctional Institution."}, {"date": "2021-12", "event": "Florida's Second District Court of Appeal upholds Drejka's conviction and sentence."} ]