Video shows deadly shooting over parking spot at Clearwater convenience store

ABC Action News ^ | 7/23/2018 | WFTS Webteam, Michael Paluska, Adam Winer

[simpson96]

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Hundreds from around Tampa Bay marched with the family of the Clearwater man fatally shot over a parking spot.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says the shooting was justified under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law. The deadly shooting at a convenience store in unincorporated Clearwater occurred Thursday.

Sgt. Spencer Gross of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office tells ABC Action News the shooting stemmed from an argument over a parking spot.

Deputies said Michael Drejka, of Clearwater, confronted a woman who parked in a handicapped parking space outside the Circle A Food Store on Sunset Point Road.

Witnesses told deputies the two were arguing because Drejka was upset the woman parked there even though she wasn't handicapped. The woman's boyfriend, Markeis McGlockton, of Clearwater, was inside the store to buy his little boy a candy bar, according to the store owner.

McGlockton exited the store to defend his girlfriend and shoved Drejka to the ground.

Drejka responded by taking out a pistol and shooting McGlockton in the chest. McGlockton ran back into the store where his five-year-old son was standing at the front door, watching the entire incident happen right before his eyes. McGlockton fell to the ground inside of the store and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Investigators say multiple people witnessed the shooting and called 911.

Drejka is a legal concealed weapons permit holder and will not be charged because of Florida's Stand Your Ground law, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

[wardaddy]

There is. 500 post thread from several days ago on this event. It is obvious here and on that thread that most freepers in 2018 think if you’re a man and someone hits you or pushes you down you are justified in killing them for that.

I don’t agree whatsoever

I don’t think think many here know much about fighting but they have seen Josey Wales

It’s not era anymore

It’s like snowflake taken to another conclusion . If you think about it

“Hey you pushed me down in a confrontation so bam you’re dead”

Maybe for little women who are terrified....

We have some toug guys here for sure.....my bag man who carries is about 140 pounds and everyone jokes a nervous man will shoot you quick

This shooter was looking for the opportunity and I’ll wager someone is going to charge him

[1Old Pro]

He should have merely muttered under his breath "what a jerk" and moved on

Most reasonable people would do that, however it's not a crime to tell someone they are parking in a handicapped spot and certainly not deserving of a violent push to the ground in what I would observe to be quite aggressive and over the top.

[kiryandil]

The shooting was TOTALLY justified.

Mouthy b*tch was parked in Mike Drejka's mom's handicapped parking space.

In an interview with Tampa’s Fox 13, store owner Ali Salous said he wasn’t surprised Drejka killed someone after watching him “become argumentative” over the same issue last month. The owner also said he called police after the first fight.

=================

Salous says Drejka has a history of confrontations in and around his store.

"He told me I can't help it. Every time I do this I get in trouble, and I can't help it. I keep doing it," Salous said.

[last month] Kelly, who drives a septic tank truck, briefly parked his tanker in this handicapped spot outside the Circle A Food Store before running inside this store for a beverage. When he came out, he saw Drejka taking pictures of his vehicle.

"He asked me (if) was I handicapped, and I said, 'Obviously, I'm driving a tanker. I'm not handicapped.' And I asked if was he handicapped and he stated 'No, my mom is,'" Kelly said.

===================

[i_robot73]

Getting your head repeatedly bashed into a concrete sidewalk: NOT a valid reason for ‘stand your ground’

Over a PARKING spot? *PERFECTLY* justified SYG

[Mr Rogers]

"He should have merely muttered under his breath "what a jerk" and moved on."

Take a picture including license plate and leave.

[1Old Pro]

Clearly, Mr Drejka is suffering from “ThatOldWhiteManMustBeCrazy”.

It appears so, but I know I would not violently shove him unless he was doing more than he was, at least now that I'm older and wiser :)

[bramps]

The dead guy was backing up when he was shot. Shooter and sheriff should be in jail.

[kiryandil]

LOL!

Drejka is Captain Redlegs from Josey Wales:

"Doin right ain't got no end."

In an interview with Tampa’s Fox 13, store owner Ali Salous said he wasn’t surprised Drejka killed someone after watching him “become argumentative” over the same issue last month. The owner also said he called police after the first fight.

=================

Salous says Drejka has a history of confrontations in and around his store.

"He told me I can't help it. Every time I do this I get in trouble, and I can't help it. I keep doing it," Salous said.

[last month] Kelly, who drives a septic tank truck, briefly parked his tanker in this handicapped spot outside the Circle A Food Store before running inside this store for a beverage. When he came out, he saw Drejka taking pictures of his vehicle.

"He asked me (if) was I handicapped, and I said, 'Obviously, I'm driving a tanker. I'm not handicapped.' And I asked if was he handicapped and he stated 'No, my mom is,'" Kelly said.

===================

And in 2012, Tyler Smith, 18, accused a driver later identified as Drejka of hanging a gun outside of his truck window during a road rage incident in Palm Harbor, northwest of Tampa, according to law enforcement documents obtained by NBC News.

Smith, whose account was corroborated by his passenger, told a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy that Drejka began yelling and honking at him when he stopped at a yellow traffic light, the documents say.

Smith said Drejka then dangled a black handgun from his driver’s side window and placed two magazines on his truck’s dashboard. After Drejka followed the car, the passenger told the deputy, Smith called the sheriff’s office to report him — though he didn’t want to press charges, according to the documents.

During an interview with deputies, Drejka said he’d yelled at Smith and honked his horn after the car cut him off, the documents say. Drejka denied following the vehicle or displaying a Glock that he kept in his truck’s center console.

No charges were filed in the case and the documents say Drejka’s concealed weapon’s license was valid.

============

Just don't get in any of Mike Drejka's "invisible spaces" if you visit Clearwater or the surrounding area and you'll be OK, wardaddy...

   

[drpix]

Here's a gif of the only important part of the encounter:

1) When the boyfriend comes out of the store the girlfriend gets out of the car and in the face of the guy outside her car.

2) This distracts the guy so that he never sees the assailant/boyfriend charging him and he is slammed to the ground with no warning and with such force that it was a miracle that his head wasn't whip-lashed into the pavement.

3) Civilians are trained not to draw their gun until the are justified in using it - and not for holding someone at bay. So for a civilian, drawing a weapon and shooting it are one continuous action.

4) So the question is what was the assailant/boyfriend doing when the assaulted guy drew his weapon. After so violently slamming the guy to the ground he was hovering and advancing with his girlfriend also still standing near the guy from another direction. The assailant/boyfriend didn't stop moving forward till the gun was already drawn - and it was too late.

It was fully reasonable for the guy (even if he was a loudmouthed idiot) to fear further violence - that could "imminently result in his death or serious bodily harm."

[kiryandil]

Take a picture including license plate and leave.

Yeah, no. Mike's not into the whole "leaving" thing after he takes the picture.

There are confrontations to attend to, mind you.

=================

Salous says Drejka has a history of confrontations in and around his store.

"He told me I can't help it. Every time I do this I get in trouble, and I can't help it. I keep doing it," Salous said.

[last month] Kelly, who drives a septic tank truck, briefly parked his tanker in this handicapped spot outside the Circle A Food Store before running inside this store for a beverage. When he came out, he saw Drejka taking pictures of his vehicle.

"He asked me (if) was I handicapped, and I said, 'Obviously, I'm driving a tanker. I'm not handicapped.' And I asked if was he handicapped and he stated 'No, my mom is,'" Kelly said.

===========================

In an interview with Tampa’s Fox 13, store owner Ali Salous said he wasn’t surprised Drejka killed someone after watching him “become argumentative” over the same issue last month. The owner also said he called police after the first fight.

[Harold Shea]

Heard the girl friend say no ones gonna tell me
where to park.

That white dude will be a target for the rest of his days.

[rolling_stone]

https://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Markeis_Mcglockton_2709475/

another choir boy?

[AppyPappy]

Even if he was dissing your baby momma?

I wonder if Mr Drejka was just following President Obama’s “See Something, Say Something”......which oddly has turned into “See Something, Man I Didn’t See Shiite”.

[Mr Rogers]

I agree, wardaddy.

“how long would you contemplate pulling a gun for self defense and using it? “ - 1Old Pro

Long enough. You don’t get to kill someone because you are scared or unhappy. There needs to be an active threat to your life or active threat of severe injury to you or another innocent person.

One cannot legally act like a feral youth and just start shooting because you are angry, scared or feel imposed upon. If you aren’t man enough to keep assessing, you shouldn’t carry. If you have bad anger issues, you shouldn’t carry. And if you shoot in revenge for someone knocking you down, you need to be punished.

This buttwipe needs to go to prison so the rest of us don’t lose OUR right to carry responsibly!

[1Old Pro]

There needs to be an active threat to your life or active threat of severe injury to you or another innocent person.

Clearly there was.

[greenishness]

He wasn’t shot over a parking spot he was shot over an assault and I suppose the shooter feared further assault.

It surely was not over a parking spot.

[kiryandil]

I totally agree.

This poor guy Drejka has had an AWFUL run of luck dealing with the ferals overrunning his town of Clearwater, FL.

But he's manfully dealing with the problem, one feral at a time.

==========================

In an interview with Tampa’s Fox 13, store owner Ali Salous said he wasn’t surprised Drejka killed someone after watching him “become argumentative” over the same issue last month. The owner also said he called police after the first fight.

=================

Salous says Drejka has a history of confrontations in and around his store.

"He told me I can't help it. Every time I do this I get in trouble, and I can't help it. I keep doing it," Salous said.

[last month] Rick Kelly, who drives a septic tank truck, briefly parked his tanker in this handicapped spot outside the Circle A Food Store before running inside this store for a beverage. When he came out, he saw Drejka taking pictures of his vehicle.

"He asked me (if) was I handicapped, and I said, 'Obviously, I'm driving a tanker. I'm not handicapped.' And I asked if was he handicapped and he stated 'No, my mom is,'" Kelly said.

===================

And in 2012, Tyler Smith, 18, accused a driver later identified as Drejka of hanging a gun outside of his truck window during a road rage incident in Palm Harbor, northwest of Tampa, according to law enforcement documents obtained by NBC News.

Smith, whose account was corroborated by his passenger, told a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy that Drejka began yelling and honking at him when he stopped at a yellow traffic light, the documents say.

Smith said Drejka then dangled a black handgun from his driver’s side window and placed two magazines on his truck’s dashboard. After Drejka followed the car, the passenger told the deputy, Smith called the sheriff’s office to report him — though he didn’t want to press charges, according to the documents.

During an interview with deputies, Drejka said he’d yelled at Smith and honked his horn after the car cut him off, the documents say. Drejka denied following the vehicle or displaying a Glock that he kept in his truck’s center console.

No charges were filed in the case and the documents say Drejka’s concealed weapon’s license was valid.

================

I feel safer knowing guys like Drejka are keeping an eye on "things".

I just hope I don't accidentally wander into one of his invisible "trigger spaces"...

[Little Ray]

“Brandishing.”
You go to jail for that.

[kiryandil]

He wasn’t shot over a parking spot he was shot over an assault and I suppose the shooter feared further assault.

I totally agree.

This poor guy Drejka has had an AWFUL run of luck dealing with the ferals overrunning his town of Clearwater, FL.

But he's manfully dealing with the problem, one feral at a time.

==========================

In an interview with Tampa’s Fox 13, store owner Ali Salous said he wasn’t surprised Drejka killed someone after watching him “become argumentative” over the same issue last month. The owner also said he called police after the first fight.

=================

Salous says Drejka has a history of confrontations in and around his store.

"He told me I can't help it. Every time I do this I get in trouble, and I can't help it. I keep doing it," Salous said.

[last month] Rick Kelly, who drives a septic tank truck, briefly parked his tanker in this handicapped spot outside the Circle A Food Store before running inside this store for a beverage. When he came out, he saw Drejka taking pictures of his vehicle.

"He asked me (if) was I handicapped, and I said, 'Obviously, I'm driving a tanker. I'm not handicapped.' And I asked if was he handicapped and he stated 'No, my mom is,'" Kelly said.

===================

And in 2012, Tyler Smith, 18, accused a driver later identified as Drejka of hanging a gun outside of his truck window during a road rage incident in Palm Harbor, northwest of Tampa, according to law enforcement documents obtained by NBC News.

Smith, whose account was corroborated by his passenger, told a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy that Drejka began yelling and honking at him when he stopped at a yellow traffic light, the documents say.

Smith said Drejka then dangled a black handgun from his driver’s side window and placed two magazines on his truck’s dashboard. After Drejka followed the car, the passenger told the deputy, Smith called the sheriff’s office to report him — though he didn’t want to press charges, according to the documents.

During an interview with deputies, Drejka said he’d yelled at Smith and honked his horn after the car cut him off, the documents say. Drejka denied following the vehicle or displaying a Glock that he kept in his truck’s center console.

No charges were filed in the case and the documents say Drejka’s concealed weapon’s license was valid.

================

I feel safer knowing guys like Drejka are keeping an eye on "things".

I just hope I don't accidentally wander into one of his invisible "trigger spaces"...

[kiryandil]

Totally justified.

They were "ferals", just like the guy that got shot, and the septic tank truck driver that parked in Mike Drejka's mom's handicapped parking spot at the Circle A last month.

Besides - this is Florida. As we know, Florida cops aren't real keen on dealing with whackjobs with guns running around threatening people.

But they're good at sheltering in place, cleaning up the bodies afterwards, blaming law-abiding gun owners for the shootings, and collecting their pensions after the yellow stripe down their backs get revealed...