NEWS OF THE DAY
Florida shooting: Prosecutors charged a white man with manslaughter Monday in the death of an unarmed black man whose videotaped shooting in a Clearwater store parking lot has revived debate over Florida’s “stand your ground” law. Michael Drejka, 47, was charged with the July 19 death of Markeis McGlockton. His girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, who was seated in the couple’s car, said Drejka confronted her for being parked in a handicapped space. McGlockton, 28, had gone into the store with their 5-year-old son. Jacobs said Drejka was cursing at her. Video shows McGlockton exited the store and shoved Drejka to the ground. Seconds later, Drejka pulled a handgun and shot McGlockton. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri originally declined to charge Drejka, citing the stand-yourground law. But the sheriff passed the case to prosecutors for a final decision. The law says people can use deadly force if they believe they are in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm.
Plane into house: A Utah man flew a small plane into his own house Monday just hours after he had been arrested for assaulting his wife, authorities said. The pilot, Duane Youd, died. His wife and a child who were in the home survived despite the front part the two-story house being engulfed in flames, police said. The crash occurred about 2:30 a.m. Monday in Payson, a city about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. Youd was arrested Sunday night after witnesses called police to report that he was assaulting his wife. He was booked into jail on suspicion of domestic violence and then bailed out.
School security: Police in Bismarck, N.D., have requested funding for equipment including AR-15 rifles for school resource officers. Police and school officials began considering rifles for school resource officers after 17 people were killed in February in a school shooting in Parkland, Fla. The Bismarck officers currently carry handguns, which police say won’t help when they need to shoot from a distance.
Flooding: Overnight rains triggered flash flooding in parts of central and eastern Pennsylvania on Monday, closing roads and sending water into homes in the mountainous coal regions. Numerous roads were swamped in a wide swath from Williamsport to the Philadelphia suburbs, and some motorists had to be rescued. The National Weather Service isaid there were reports of 6 inches of rain or more in Schuylkill and Columbia counties. Suspected shoplifter: A pregnant woman shopping at a Staples in Pineville, N.C., says she was confronted about what she was concealing beneath her shirt: “Twins,” she said. Sherell Bates said she was paying for back-toschool supplies Friday when a police officer had her step aside and explain what was under her shirt. Bates explained that she’s 34 weeks pregnant with twins, but he didn’t believe her, so she lifted up her shirt to expose her belly. She says “no mom should have to go through that.” Staples says a manager mistakenly suspected shoplifting. The manager apologized.