A Stand Your Ground hearing is underway in Tampa, Florida, to determine whether Joel Moreno Cobo’s use of deadly force was justified in the shooting death of Dedrick Sykes, also known as DJ Shy Guy.
Background
According to court documents, Moreno Cobo flashed his lights at another vehicle in traffic, leading to an exchange of profanities with Sykes. Sykes then stopped his Jeep, got out, and began walking towards Moreno Cobo’s vehicle. Moreno Cobo claimed he feared for his life and the safety of his girlfriend and child, who were in the vehicle, and grabbed his gun, firing two shots that killed Sykes.
Moreno Cobo’s defense argues that he was entitled to defend himself, even if he didn’t see a weapon on Sykes. However, prosecutors challenge this account, pointing out that Moreno Cobo never saw a weapon on Sykes and that the evidence does not support his claim of self-defense.
Previous Incident
Detectives also documented a previous incident involving Moreno Cobo and a gun, where he was caught on camera pistol-whipping a man in Ybor City. Moreno Cobo admitted to attacking the man but claimed he was acting out of fear.
The judge will ultimately determine whether Moreno Cobo’s use of deadly force was legally justified. If the judge finds Moreno Cobo is entitled to Stand Your Ground immunity, he could avoid a murder trial.
Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
