Emmanuel Bellevue
Black male
Age at time: 22
Weapon: unarmed
Victim photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Jeffrey Lew
White male
Age at time: 47
Weapon: gun
unharmed
Defendant photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Case type:
Dispute over money/property
Location:
Public
Initiator:
Victim
Witnesses:
Yes
Case year:
2008
Location details: Outside the club where both parties worked. in Tampa, Hillsborough County, on July 26, 2008
What happened: Jeff Lew was leaving Club Prana where he worked as a promoter in the early morning hours when he was approached by two men. One of the men had been fired by Lew earlier in the evening and thrown out of the club. The man's friend, Emmanuel Bellevue, demanded that Lew pay his friend and pushed Lew in the chest. Lew grabbed his gun from his car and, in the ensuing scuffle, hit Bellevue on the head with the butt. The gun flew out of Lew's hand and both men raced for it, with Lew grabbing it first. A few seconds later, the gun went off and the bullet was later retrieved from a nearby building. Lew left the scene and was arrested in St. Petersburg later that day. Bellevue was present at the scene when police, hearing the gunshot, arrived. Lew told police he saw "something shiny" in Bellevue's hand and was in fear for his life. He said Bellevue also grabbed $150 Lew was holding in his hand and he feared the victim was going to rob him.
The outcome: Lew was arrested on aggravated battery charges but the charges were later dropped. His lawyer said prosecutors decided that Lew was protected under "stand your ground" immunity.
Investigating agency: Tampa Police
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 Police Department, July 26, 2008.
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
