A man from Tampa, Florida has been accused by Florida prosecutors of committing second degree murder and a hate crime at a dog park where a gay man was shot and killed last month.
65-year-old Gerald Declan Radford called 911 to report that he had shot 52-year-old John Walter Lay on February 2 at West Dog Park. Lay was taken to a hospital after the shooting, but unfortunately, he passed away despite the efforts of first responders.
Originally, Radford claimed self-defense and was not arrested due to lack of witnesses. However, further investigation revealed witnesses who testified to the strained relationship between the two, which was believed to be related to Lay’s sexual orientation.
Investigators also found a video recorded by Lay the day before the shooting, where Radford was heard threatening him, saying, “You’re going to die.”
Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez expressed deep sadness over the situation, stating, “He deserved to be able to go and enjoy that dog park in peace, just like every citizen of Hillsborough County deserves. We’re absolutely heartbroken, and we’re even more heartbroken because of the fact that this crime appears to have really resulted because of the hatred that this defendant had for this victim and very specifically because of the fact that the victim was gay.” Lopez made these comments in an interview with WTVT.Lopez mentioned that her office believes Radford may use Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows a defendant to claim self-defense based solely on their claim that they felt threatened.
Lay’s friends and relatives had doubts about Radford’s story from the beginning.
Lay’s brother, Sabrena Hughes, expressed relief that the truth is now known, stating, “There is no sentence that’s gonna restore my brother’s life. But if this person has that type of hatred and can act out on it, keeping him in jail will hopefully save someone else’s life.”
Florida LGBTQ advocates criticized the state law, stating that it places individuals in danger and can lead to unjustified violence without consequences.
NBC News quoted Florida LGBTQ advocates as criticizing the state law. The arrest of Gerald Declan Radford puts the issue of guilt in the hands of the courts, but Equality Florida has already declared their opinion on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law: This law doesn’t just fail to protect; it actively endangers, turning what should be last-resort measures into first instincts, with tragic outcomes..
Equality Florida made this statement, expressing concerns about the absence of a duty to retreat to safety under the law.
[Featured image: John Walter Lay/Facebook and Gerald Declan Radford/Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office]