A judge on Thursday rejected a "stand your ground" defense from a Florida man who pulled a loaded gun on Black teen protesters in 2019 — hurling racial slurs at them in a video that went viral.
During a two-day hearing, Mark Bartlett testified that, despite his use of racial slurs including the N-word, the incident did not have a "racial component," according to a report from the Miami Herald.
Bartlett claimed during the hearing he was "being held hostage" with his girlfriend in their Range Rover, after the teens blocked traffic on MLK Day to protest a lack of affordable housing in Miami.
He also said he was "like putting on a show" when he used the racial slurs.
"Was there any racial component," prosecutor Jonathan Borst asked Bartlett.
"In my head, no," Bartlett said. "It's a derogatory term for Black people. But racist? No."
Circuit Judge Alberto Milian disagreed, declining to dismiss the charges against Bartlett based on his "stand your ground" defense.
"The use of racial comments shows he was simmering," Milian said. "He was an angry man. He was inconvenienced. He wanted to go back to Broward County. There was no reasonable justification."
Bartlett is set for trial in December on three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm (with hate crimes enhancements), plus carrying a concealed weapon and improper exhibition of a firearm.
Read more here and watch a report from Local10.com below.
Judge denies 'stand your ground' defense for gunman in racist tirade on MLK Day 2019 in Brickellwww.youtube.com
