From: jcs
Initial Arrest and Interrogation
On November 24, 2012, Michael Dunn was tracked down at his home in Brevard County after witnesses at the shooting scene recorded his license plate number [00:13:01]. He was brought to the JSO police department without incident and subjected to an interrogation that began at 4 p.m., 22 hours after the shooting [00:13:08].
During the initial phase of the interrogation, detectives aimed to obtain as much information as possible from Dunn while he was without counsel [00:15:47]. They remained neutral and encouraged his narrative by appearing to agree with him, a strategy to prevent him from shutting down or requesting legal counsel [00:15:38].
Michael Dunn presented himself as a victim who had no other choice but to act as he did, attempting to appear rational, reasonable, and considerate [00:13:44]. He understood that someone had died due to a situation he initiated and sought to bend the facts and others’ perceptions [00:13:54].
Narrative Discrepancies and Escalation
Dunn claimed that he politely asked the occupants of the red SUV to turn their music down, and they complied [00:14:40] [00:14:55]. He then stated that the music came back on, and the agitated occupant began yelling “kill him” or “kill that s***.” [00:16:11] [00:16:27] Dunn stated he put his window down again and asked, “Excuse me, are you talking about me?” [00:16:17] He claimed the individual then went to the ground and came up with what he thought was a shotgun, threatening “you’re dead s***,” which prompted him to retrieve his pistol from the glove compartment [00:16:35]. He also boasted about his gun handling skills during this account [00:17:43].
Prosecution's Argument
The prosecution later argued that if Dunn was genuinely traumatized, he would not add dramatic pauses or complementary remarks about his gun handling skills during his recollection of the event, suggesting he couldn’t help but boast despite allegedly being horrified [00:17:31].
Contradictions Presented by Detectives
Detectives gradually increased pressure, questioning why Dunn did not call the police immediately after the shooting, but instead went to a hotel, ordered pizza, and walked his dog [00:21:03] [00:21:56]. Dunn claimed he wanted to return to his hometown to report it and was still too afraid to stay at the scene [00:21:59].
A major point of contention was the alleged weapon. Detectives directly challenged Dunn’s claim of seeing a shotgun or a stick [00:27:38]. They stated there were no weapons found in or near the victim’s car [00:27:41]. Dunn’s description of what he saw changed from “shotgun” to “barrel” and then to “barrel or a stick” [00:23:55] [00:24:00] [00:24:32].
Detectives also pressed on Dunn’s claim that the victim was getting out of the car when he fired [00:29:28]. Forensics later refuted this, proving the victim never exited the truck and the door was shut when Dunn opened fire, as indicated by bullet angles and entry/exit wounds [00:32:25].
Furthermore, detectives pointed out that Dunn fired four more shots as the vehicle was backing away, arguing that this indicated the threat was no longer imminent [00:27:58]. Dunn attempted to justify this by stating he believed they still had a weapon and he was trying to prevent return fire [00:28:17] [00:30:06].
Fiancée’s Testimony
Michael Dunn’s fiancée, Rhonda Rauer, was interviewed four days after the shooting. She confirmed that Dunn never mentioned seeing a gun, any type of weapon, a stick, a shotgun, a barrel, or a lead pipe in the red SUV, either on the ride back to the hotel, in the hotel room, or during the two-hour drive home the next morning [00:55:17] [00:55:26] [00:55:33] [00:55:35] [00:55:37] [00:55:40] [00:55:41].
Charges and Sentencing
Towards the end of the interrogation, Michael Dunn asked if he needed a lawyer [00:45:38]. Detectives informed him that Duval County had issued a warrant for his arrest for murder and attempted murder [00:45:47]. They also informed him that there was no bond on a murder charge in Duval County [00:46:28]. Dunn expressed surprise, stating he “really didn’t know that I was being charged with murder and attempted murder” and that “that sucks” [00:47:11].
Trial and Appeal
Michael Dunn was remanded into custody at the Duval County Jail, where he remained for 14 months awaiting trial [00:48:00].
On February 15, 2014, Michael Dunn was found guilty on three counts of attempted murder, receiving a 90-year sentence [00:56:20]. Seven months later, on October 1st, he was given an additional life sentence without the possibility of parole [00:56:29]. His appeal was denied by the First District Court on November 17, 2016 [00:56:35]. He is currently held at the maximum-security Oregon State Penitentiary [00:56:41].