Florida authorities said Friday that a man was detained and charged with murder in a Tampa dog park shooting last month that killed a 52-year-old gay man.
Initially claiming self-defense, Gerald Declan Radford, 65, was charged with second-degree murder for murdering John Walter Lay. After investigating, prosecutors want to add a hate crime enhancement because Radford made racist comments before shooting the victim.
“We should all enjoy a dog park day without gunfire. "This victim deserved to live free from sexual orientation-based fear and discrimination," stated Florida State Attorney Suzy Lopez. The evidence proves the defendant's acts were hateful, and he will be punished. My heart goes out to the victim's family and many friends as we battle for justice.”
Tampa Florida dog park shooting victim: John Walter Lay.Lopez spokesman Erin Maloney expects Radford to appear in court on Saturday, according to WFLA. On-demand Radford attorney information was unavailable.
“With Gerald Declan Radford's arrest, the courts will decide guilt, but Florida's notorious Stand Your Ground law is already decided: This law fails to protect and actively endangers, turning last-resort tactics into first instincts with tragic consequences, LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida stated. "The lack of a duty to retreat to safety is too often used to justify murder without consequence."
Lopez's office stated in a Friday press release that some were frustrated by the month-long charge-bringing process.
“Stand Your Ground claims can be difficult to refute in some cases because the only other witness to the incident is deceased,” the announcement noted. “Throughout this investigation, community members provided important information about ongoing tensions that helped contextualize the incident.”
Lay posted a video with pals the day before the incident claiming Radford was threatening him. The announcement said this helped prosecutors prove their case. It's unknown how Lay and Radford met before the incident.
follow for more updates