Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. A judge has rejected the “stand your ground” defense of a Florida man who said he beat an iguana to death only after it attacked him, biting him on the arm.
PJ Nilaja Patterson, 43, must stand trial on a felony animal cruelty charge, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Dana Gillen ruled recently in denying the unusual defense, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
The “stand your ground” law allows a person who is under attack and reasonably fears death or great bodily harm to use deadly force, even if they could retreat to safety. It has been used in several high-profile cases since it was adopted 16 years ago, but this might be the first time the recipient of deadly force was an animal.
Stand your ground defense rejected in iguana killing - Medicine Hat NewsMedicine Hat News
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Florida man uses stand your ground defense in iguana death
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