‘I will never forget watching my unarmed son being shot dead by a man who claimed self-defence’

In the decade since Trayvon Martin was killed by someone who claimed self-defence, hundreds have lost their lives because of ‘stand-your-ground’ laws. One family shares their story with Andrew Buncombe

McGlockton with a photograph of his son, Markeis, in Florida (AP)

Michael McGlockton says he will never be able to forget watching the video that showed his unarmed son being shot dead. Markeis McGlockton was 28 and had three children. They were all there, along with their mother, Brittany Jacobs, when he was killed by a man called Michael Drejka, who had argued with Jacobs over her parking spot.

Video footage captured at the convenience store in Clearwater, Florida, on 19 July 2018 shows him coming out of the store after being told his partner was being harangued. It shows McGlockton, who was black and unarmed, forcefully pushing Drejka to the floor. Seconds later, Drejka, still on his knees, pulls out a handgun and aims it McGlockton, who backs away several steps. Seconds later he pulls the trigger.

The footage shows McGlockton being struck once, in the chest, and then running inside the store, partly bent over, where he collapsed in front of his five-year-old son. He would be pronounced dead 30 minutes later.