Another late-night killing at a Waffle House.
This time, on Friday the 13th, the cook was on the receiving end of a stream of threats. And this time, the cook pulled out a .357 Magnum and shot his antagonist.
Quintavius Martin, the cook, claimed that he was in fear for his life, even though the man he shot, Adrian Mosley, did not have a gun on his person. Instead, Mosley allegedly said that he had his gun in his car, and he urged Martin to come outside. And witnesses told police that Mosley not only threatened Martin but was trying to get to him over the counter. Martin opened fire, he said, after Mosley threw a glass of water in his face.
So there’s the question posed by the Stand Your Ground law: If someone is threatening you but doesn’t have a lethal weapon at hand, are you still justified in using deadly force to counteract the threat? The authorities have charged Martin with murder.
Today’s Bill Torpy at Large sets out the facts of the case — including the criminal record of the deceased — and poses the question: Was this a Stand Your Ground case, or murder?
Subscribers may read the full Torpy at Large at our premium website, myajc.com.
