ORLANDO, Fla. - A man accused of stabbing another man four times during a confrontation in downtown Orlando will no longer face prosecution after the State Attorney's Office determined the attack was an act of self-defense.
The decision follows a court hearing last month in which prosecutors and defense attorneys presented competing arguments over who initiated the confrontation and whether Brown was justified in using the knife.
What happened during the confrontation?
The backstory:
According to testimony from Orlando police Detective John Dalles, Brown was waiting for an Uber near Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard when the other man approached on a bicycle.
Dalles testified that the encounter began with a verbal altercation and eventually escalated into a physical confrontation.
Investigators said the other man initially pulled out a knife but later placed it on the ground.
Video footage presented during the hearing showed Brown picking up the weapon and stabbing the man four times, according to Dalles.
What prosecutors are saying
What they're saying:
In a subsequent statement, the State Attorney's Office announced it would not move forward with the prosecution after reviewing video footage and witness statements.
The office said the evidence supported Brown's claim of self-defense and that prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his actions were not legally justified.
Prosecutors also said the alleged victim told them he did not want to pursue the case.
"Our duty is to the evidence and the law, not to a particular outcome," the office said.
The statement added that Florida law requires the state to prove a defendant was not justified once a self-defense claim is raised.
"The video evidence and witness statements support Mr. Brown's account," prosecutors said.
The office concluded that continuing the case would not be appropriate because it could not meet its burden of proof.
What's next:
The State Attorney's Office has determined it will not pursue the charges against Brown. The announcement follows the judge's earlier decision to hold him without bond during the court proceedings.
The office said dismissing the charges was required under the evidence and Florida law.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orlando Police Department, an attorney for Deaveon Brown and the Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.