The nation in brief

Black man killed,white man charged

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Prosecutors charged a white man with manslaughter Monday in the death of an unarmed black man whose video-recorded shooting in a store parking lot has revived debate over Florida's "stand your ground" law.

Michael Drejka, 47, has been charged with the July 19 death of Markeis McGlockton outside a Clearwater convenience store, Pinellas County State Attorney Bernie McCabe said. Drejka was being held at the county jail on $100,000 bail. It was unknown if he had an attorney.

McGlockton's girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, who was seated in the couple's car with two of their children, ages 3 years and 4 months, said Drejka confronted her for being parked in a handicapped-accessible space. McGlockton, 28, had gone into the store.

Video shows McGlockton leaving the store and shoving Drejka to the ground. Seconds later, Drejka pulls a handgun and shoots McGlockton as he backs away.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri originally declined to charge Drejka, saying that the man was protected by Florida's stand-your-ground law.

Police officer whohit man resigns

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore police officer recorded while repeatedly punching a man in a street confrontation has resigned, and investigators are looking at charging him with second-degree assault, Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle said Monday.

Tuggle said at a news conference that the officer's use of "repeated head strikes" and attempts to take the man to the ground were "disturbing." The officer's actions were not acceptable, even if they were sparked by emotions, because an officer shouldn't act on them, Tuggle added.

The video recorded Saturday begins with the officer, who Tuggle didn't identify, standing in front of a black man who has his back to a wall. The officer, who is also black, can be seen shoving the man in the chest before the officer starts throwing punches. The man tries to block punches from the officer but doesn't appear to fight back. The video ends with the officer on top of him.

A second officer who was present Saturday has been assigned to administrative duties during the investigation. Tuggle said the second officer had a duty to contain the situation and keep himself safe.

Attorney Warren Brown said his client, 26-year-old Dashawn McGrier, was the man being punched in the video. McGrier was hospitalized Saturday and wasn't charged, he said.

Man who flew planeinto his house dies

PAYSON, Utah -- A Utah man flew a small plane into his own house early Monday just hours after he had been arrested for assaulting his wife in a nearby canyon where the couple went to talk over their problems, authorities said.

The pilot, Duane Youd, died. His wife and a child who were in the home survived despite the front part of the two-story house being engulfed in flames, Payson police Sgt. Noemi Sandoval said.

The crash occurred at about 2:30 a.m. in Payson, a city about south of Salt Lake City. Investigators believe Youd, an experienced pilot, intentionally flew the twin-engine Cessna 525 into his own house; Sandoval said.

Before the crash, Youd, 47, was arrested about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after witnesses called police to report that he was assaulting his wife, Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.

Within hours of being released, Youd took off in the plane, flying to his neighborhood and smashing into his house, Sandoval said.

-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports.

A Section on 08/14/2018

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