Lukace Shane Kendle, the security guard that shot 29-year-old Kijuan Byrd dead outside of Club Lexx strip club in Miami, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, the Miami Herald reports.
The arrest comes after Byrd’s family, who is represented by Trayvon Martin’s family attorney Benjamin Crump, held a press conference complaining that the Miami-Dade Police Department was too slow in pursuing charges against Kendle. NewsOne reported on Friday that Byrd and his friend, Michael Smathers, were shot outside of the strip club on June 1, leaving Byrd dead and Smathers in critical condition.
The arrest comes after Byrd’s family, who is represented by Trayvon Martin’s family attorney Benjamin Crump, held a press conference complaining that the Miami-Dade Police Department was too slow in pursuing charges against Kendle. NewsOne reported on Friday that Byrd and his friend, Michael Smathers, were shot outside of the strip club on June 1, leaving Byrd dead and Smathers in critical condition.
He noticed Byrd and Smathers inside of a Ford F-150 in a nearby parking space rolling up marijuana cigarettes. Kendle says she first decided to join co-workers across the parking lot, but turned back to retrieve something from his truck. As approached his truck, Kendle says he saw the Ford’s doors swing open and then heard someone shout, “I’m going to kill that n—–.”
Kendle says as Smather’s was exiting the vehicle, he “might have been pulling something ‘upwards.’ ’’ Kendle never saw a weapon, but says he feared for his life. He then pulled out his gun and shot Smathers four times. Kendle then focused on Byrd. He told the cops that he shot in Byrd’s direction once because he felt his life was in danger. Byrd had crawled under the vehicle at this point.
Here is how the rest of the fatal night went down:
In the warrant, Kendle said he could not see Byrd’s hand, but still fired anyway because he was still “in fear for his life.”Byrd and Smathers were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where Byrd later died. An autopsy later revealed that Byrd was shot 11 times. Smathers was still hospitalized Friday in critical condition.
The public was outraged over the details of the case. Not to mention that Kendle was still a free man after shooting two unarmed men, leaving one dead and the other fighting for his life.
Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Detective Aida Fina-Milian said the police needed the time so that the case could be handled correctly.
“It’s important to conduct a thorough investigation,” she said.
Crump, the Byrd’s family attorney, feels that it took more than a week for an arrest to be made because Kendle was using Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law” as his defense. He says the law makes no sense.
“It sends the message that you can shoot people and not be held accountable,” Crump said. “We have to seriously revise this.”
Byrd was employed as an electrician and the father of two children — a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
Details on a possible bond for Kendle or his next court date were not available at the time of publication.
All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. |
They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought. |
That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment? |
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