Terrance D. Gulley
Black male
Age at time: 27
Weapon: unarmed
Victim photo: Florida Department of Corrections
Julio Cruz
White male
Age at time: 49
Weapon: gun
Defendant photo: Broward County Sheriff's Office
Case type:
Neighborhood dispute
Location:
Public
Initiator:
Defendant
Witnesses:
Yes
Case year:
2008
Location details: The parking lot of an apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, on Dec. 09, 2008
What happened: Terrance Gulley said he and his wife had stopped by to chat with a friend outside the friend's apartment and were still in their vehicle when Julio Cruz began banging on the hood. Cruz told police he had been woken up by Gulley and his friend's loud arguing and went out to confront them. When Gulley got out of the car, Cruz told police, he thought the man might hit him. So Cruz pulled a handgun from under his bathrobe and yelled, "Get the f___ off my property or I'll shoot you.'' Gulley left without incident and flagged down a police officer. Cruz was charged with assault and later argued he was standing his ground. Cruz told police he did not have a concealed weapons permit.
The outcome: Cruz appealed after judge denied his "stand your ground" motion. An appeals court ordered a trial court to reconsider, not based on the merits of the case, but on the original judge's decision to deny the motion simply because there were disputes over key facts.
Case decision made by: Pending
Trayvon Martin’s death became controversial because circumstances leading up to the shooting cast doubt on who was to blame. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed other “stand your ground” cases for similar circumstances. The Times relied on available information, some of which may not tell the whole story. When the situation was unclear, that was noted.
| Yes | No | Unclear/ disputed |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Did the victim initiate the confrontation? |
 |
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Was the victim armed? |
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Was the victim committing a crime that led to the confrontation? |
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Did the defendant pursue the victim? |
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Could the defendant have retreated to avoid the conflict? |
|
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Was the defendant on his or her property? |
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Did someone witness the attack? |
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Was there physical evidence? |
|
Source: Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Dec. 9, 2008.
Source: Fourth District State Court of Appeal, Feb. 23, 2011. Link to original source
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
