Jake Couture
White male
Age at time: 17
Weapon: gun
James Menard
White male
Age at time: 23
Weapon: gun
Defendant photo: Collier County Sheriff's Office, 2010
Case type:
Dispute over money/property
Location:
Public
Initiator:
Defendant
Witnesses:
Yes
Case year:
2010
Location details: Outside in the Brittany Bay Apartments in Naples, Collier County, on Jan. 01, 2010
What happened: James Menard drove to the Brittany Bay Apartments with a group of friends to recover money they say was stolen from them earlier that day by another group. The confrontation quickly became heated, and one of the men shoved Menard, who had brought his gun with him. Menard, who had a concealed weapons permit, said he fired because he feared being attacked and saw one of the opposing group members carrying what turned out to be a pellet gun shaped like an Uzi. Menard, 24, fired five times into the crowd, wounding two and killing Jake Couture, 17.
The outcome: A judge rejected "stand your ground" defense and Menard was sentenced to life after a jury convicted him of murder and related charges.
Investigating agency: Collier County Sheriff
Case decision made by: Jury
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: Naples Daily News, May 28, 2010.
Source: Naples Daily News, Feb. 11, 2011. Link to original source
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
