From: jcs
Michael Dunn, the defendant, repeatedly asserted his actions were in self-defense, claiming he was the victim and fought back against an imminent threat [00:01:18]. He stated he was “preyed upon” [00:01:23] and refused to be a victim, which led to his incarceration [00:01:43].
Michael Dunn’s Account of the Incident
During initial phone calls from jail, Michael Dunn expressed his belief that he was the victim, stating, “I’m the victim here, I was the one that was being preyed upon, and I fought back” [00:01:18]. He further elaborated that he was “attacked” and fought back because he “didn’t want to be a victim” [00:01:34]. Dunn claimed the boys intended to kill him for asking them to turn the radio down, calling it “absurd” but noting they were “violent” [00:01:49].
During his interrogation, Michael Dunn presented himself as the victim who had no choice but to act [00:14:45]. He aimed to appear rational, reasonable, and considerate, acknowledging that someone had died due to a situation he initiated [00:13:54].
Dunn described rolling down his window and politely asking the occupants of the SUV to turn down their music [00:14:37]. He stated they complied, and he thanked them [00:14:49]. However, he claimed the music came back on, and he heard agitated yelling [00:15:20], including phrases like “kill him” [00:16:11]. He then put his window down again to ask if they were talking about him [00:16:17].
Michael Dunn alleged that one of the individuals “goes down on the ground and comes up with something” he “thought it was a shotgun” [00:16:35]. He then quoted the individual as saying, “You’re dead [expletive]” [00:16:42] and claimed the person opened their door [00:16:44]. Feeling scared, Dunn reached into his glove compartment, unholstered his pistol, and, demonstrating his “gun handling skills,” fired [00:16:47].
He initially stated he shot “four times” [00:17:54] at the vehicle. Even as the SUV fled, he claimed to be “still scared” because he believed “they got a gun,” leading him to fire “four more times” [00:18:07]. He expressed he “didn’t feel safe” [00:18:34] and justified leaving the scene by stating he was still afraid [00:22:06]. He also clarified that the music was “a nuisance at first” but “it really wasn’t an issue of loud music, it was an issue of them threatening my legs [life]” [00:26:04].
In court, Dunn’s testimony shifted slightly, with a “considerable increase in both emphasis and conviction” [00:48:51]. He explicitly stated hearing “kill that [expletive]” and “kill it [expletive]” screamed at him [00:48:38]. He also added that the individual said, “this shit’s going down now” [00:50:08], a detail not mentioned in his interrogation [00:50:13]. He claimed his purpose for firing at the retreating vehicle was due to “a blind firing situation” where they might “shoot over their heads or whatever and uh hit me or hit me and Rhonda” [00:52:03].
Refutation of Self-Defense Claims
Conflicting Statements and Inconsistencies
Investigators noted inconsistencies in Michael Dunn’s account. He initially claimed to have seen a “shotgun” [00:16:40], which later became “a barrel” [00:23:55], and then “either a barrel or a stick” [00:24:32]. His emphasis on seeing a weapon was described as “weak and unconvincing” [00:24:04].
The prosecution pointed out that Dunn’s behavior after the shooting, such as ordering pizza and walking his dog without the gun, contradicted his claim of being “scared” and fearing retaliation [00:20:09]. His failure to immediately call 911 was also questioned, contrasting it with a case where a genuinely threatened individual called emergency services immediately [00:23:09].
Forensic Evidence and Witness Testimony
Forensic analysis and other witness testimonies directly contradicted Michael Dunn’s claims of a weapon and the victim’s actions.
- Absence of Weapons: Detectives explicitly stated there were “no weapons in the car” [00:26:44] and “nothing found in or near the car that resembled a stick nor a weapon” [00:27:41].
- Victim’s Location: Forensic evidence showed the victim, Jordan Davis, was “sitting in the back seat of that truck when he is hit” [00:31:18], with three bullets going “right through the door” [00:31:25]. This refuted Dunn’s claim that Davis was getting out of the truck [00:32:06].
- Door Position: Forensics proved the door was shut when Dunn opened fire, correlating bullet angles with the victim’s wounds [00:32:26].
- Nature of Threats: While other occupants of the SUV admitted to “jaw-jacking” and using expletives like “go [expletive] yourself” towards Dunn [00:35:00], “at no time did any of them say well okay he did say he was gonna kill him” [00:35:11].
- Victims’ Background: Investigators highlighted that the teenagers involved had “no history of violence” [00:35:37] and were not known as “violent guys” [00:35:58].
Rhonda Rauer’s Testimony
Rhonda Rauer, Michael Dunn’s fiancée, provided crucial testimony that undermined his claims. She stated that Michael Dunn never mentioned seeing a gun or any weapon in the red SUV at any point, including immediately after the shooting, back at the hotel, or during the two-hour drive home the next morning [00:55:22].
Conclusion
Michael Dunn’s claims of self-defense were heavily scrutinized due to numerous inconsistencies in his narrative, his delayed reporting of the incident, the lack of corroborating evidence, and the direct refutation by forensic findings and his fiancée’s testimony. His argument that he was protecting himself from a perceived threat, including a shotgun, was disproven by the investigation, which found no weapons in the victims’ vehicle.
Ultimately, Michael Dunn was found guilty on three counts of attempted murder and was rendered a 90-year sentence. Seven months later, he was given an additional life sentence without the possibility of parole [00:56:20].