Man accused of shooting deputy released under Florida's 'stand your ground' law
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A man accused of shooting a Brevard County Sheriff's deputy in 2015 has been freed from jail under Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law.
According to Florida Today, John DeRossett, 60, of Port St. John, spend nearly five years at the Brevard County Jail Complex as he awaited trial. He was being charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer while discharging a firearm.
DeRossett was allowed to leave jail on bond in March. The decision to dismiss the charges came down on Wednesday.
“The appellate decision is better than a jury acquittal. An acquittal only means ‘not guilty.’ This order means that John is innocent, that his actions were justified, and that he never should have been arrested in the first place. It’s a total vindication,” DeRossett’s attorney, Michael Panella.
“ . . . Great, great. Thank God. Thank Jesus. Thank everybody, thank you. You just don’t know, how it feels, you know? I’m trying to hold the tears back,” DeRossett said in a statement issued to Florida Today.
DeRossett was charged after a botched arrest in front of his home in 2015.