Brandon Patrick Baker
White male
Age at time: 30
Weapon: unarmed
Seth Browning
White male
Age at time: 23
Weapon: gun
Case type:
Citizen enforcing the law
Location:
Public
Initiator:
Victim
Witnesses:
Yes
Case year:
2012
Location details: On a public street near the entrance of Egret's Landing apartment complex in Palm Harbor, Pinellas County, on March 06, 2012
What happened: Seth Browning, a 23-year-old security guard, used pepper spray and then his gun to fatally shoot Brandon Baker, 30, after Baker approached his car and punched him. Baker's twin brother, who witnessed the incident, said Browning had been tailgating Brandon before the altercation. The brothers, driving separately, stopped their cars to confront the tailgater. Investigators said the unarmed Brandon Baker got out of his truck, aggressively approached Browning and reached into the vehicle to punch him, prompting Browning to shoot. He remained at the scene until deputies arrived and said he was concerned about Brandon's driving and had followed closely to get his tag number. Browning is a security guard who once served in Afghanistan.
The outcome: Prosecutors will not press charges. A memo from Assistant State Attorney William Loughery says it was "justifiable use of deadly force."
Investigating agency: Pinellas County Sheriff
Case decision made by: Prosecutor
Trayvon Martin’s death became controversial because circumstances leading up to the shooting cast doubt on who was to blame. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed other “stand your ground” cases for similar circumstances. The Times relied on available information, some of which may not tell the whole story. When the situation was unclear, that was noted.
| Yes | No | Unclear/ disputed |
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|---|---|---|---|
Did the victim initiate the confrontation? |
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Was the victim armed? |
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Was the victim committing a crime that led to the confrontation? |
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Did the defendant pursue the victim? |
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Could the defendant have retreated to avoid the conflict? |
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Was the defendant on his or her property? |
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Did someone witness the attack? |
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Was there physical evidence? |
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Source: Tampa Bay Times, March 7, 2012. Link to original source
Source: Tampa Bay Times, Sept. 24, 2012. Link to original source
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Case last updated: Sept. 24, 2012
