Florida Commissioner Resigns After Murder Charge

A Central Florida city commissioner has resigned after being charged in the fatal shooting of a man he accused of shoplifting a hatchet from an Army-Navy surplus store.

Forty-seven-year-old Michael Dunn resigned Monday from the Lakeland City Commission. 

Court records show that a grand jury charged Dunn with second-degree murder on Friday.

Surveillance video released to the public shows Dunn shooting 50-year-old Cristobal Lopez on Oct. 3. 

The video shows Dunn holding a gun in his right hand while trying to keep Lopez from carrying the hatchet out of the store. 

As seen on the video, Lopez makes his way partly out the door, raising the hatchet, when Dunn fires and Lopez falls dead.

Dunn's attorney says the shooting was justified because Lopez was holding the hatchet.


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