Darnell Mason
Black male
Age at time: 19
Weapon: knife, baseball bat
Christopher M. Phillips
White male
Age at time: 38
Weapon: gun
Defendant photo: Manatee County Sheriff's Office
Case type:
Domestic dispute
Location:
Victim's Property
Initiator:
Defendant
Witnesses:
Yes
Case year:
2010
Location details: Inside the apartment shared by the defendant's daughter and her husband of one monthadenton in Bradenton, Manatee County, on Jan. 09, 2010
What happened: Christopher Phillips, 39, showed up at his daughter's apartment with a gun and pointed a gun at his son-in-law's head. In the ensuing struggle, the gun fired and took part of Phillip's own pinky finger off. Phillips told a jury his son-in-law pulled a knife first, and that the son-in-law's brother pulled a baseball bat and cracked Phillips over the head. His lawyer argued that Phillips was simply standing his ground. Son-in-law was not injured.
The outcome: Phillips was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm but acquitted after a jury trial. Defense used "stand your ground" argument.
Case decision made by: Jury
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: Bradenton Herald, Jan. 10, 2010.
Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune, Oct. 22, 2010. Link to original source
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
