Lawmakers in Tallahassee will soon examine the so-called “warning shots” bill that aims to protect people who display a gun or fire a warning shot in self-defense.
The "Threatened Use of Force" bill (HB 89) was written by Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City, who has told WOKV News in the past that it's meant to "clarify" Florida's Stand Your Ground defense to include the threatened use of force instead of just the actual use of force itself.
State Attorney Angela Corey tells WOKV News that the bill is unnecessary.
“If you use any type of deadly force – a discharge or a bullet that actually strikes human flesh – and you were justified in your use of that force under the factors, then you don’t have to call it a warning shot,” Corey says.
“The deadly force is the firing of the gun itself, whether or not it strikes flesh. So you don’t need that [bill].”
Corey says she thinks Rep. Combee and the other lawmakers working on the bill are misinformed.
“I’ve actually called the office of the legislator who wrote that bill, and he won’t call me back. So I’m inviting him to call me back so I can explain. Because I think he did it because of a certain local case that’s gotten the wrong attention for the wrong reason, and based on tons of misinformation.”
Corey is referring to the Marissa Alexander case, which Combee told WOKV partially inspired him to write the bill.
“[Marissa Alexander] didn’t shoot anybody, and she’s sentenced to twenty years in prison,” Combee told WOKV. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense to a lot of people.”
Corey has always maintained that what Alexander fired weren’t warning shots.
“And I am tired of the misinformation on this case. Now that case is set for retrial, and I invite the public to watch every word of every bit of testimony that comes out in that case,” she says.
If the warning shots bill were to pass, Corey says it could lead to more violence.
“What you’re gonna have is somebody thinking they’re legitimately holding their gun up and firing a warning shot, and some police officer or other law-abiding citizen is gonna stumble on the scene, think they’re the shooter, and shoot and kill them.
“Where are we gonna draw the line on this? Where are we gonna draw the line on protecting human life from people who don’t have the right to fire? We will always protect our citizens who have the right to fire – our police officers, our homeowners, our store owners who are resisting a robbery – none of them have ever been harmed by Florida’s laws.”
Corey asks the supporters of the bill to show her “one legitimate case” where they believe a warning shot was fired, and someone was prosecuted for it.
WOKV will continue to follow the progress of the warning shots bill as this year’s legislative session moves forward.
