FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Prosecutors believe they have made their case against two Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies involved in the rough takedown of a teenager caught on camera last year outside a McDonald’s in Tamarac.
The deputies weren’t standing their ground from a threat, the state argued in resting its case Monday, but instead going overboard and jumping Delucca Rolle, who was close to the chaos as a friend was getting arrested.
Defense attorneys, however, painted a different picture as they called a list of witnesses in Day 2 of the virtual hearing for Christopher Krikovich, who is no longer with BSO, and Sgt. Gregory LaCerra
Those attorneys argue that Rolle — the only witness called by prosecutors — was an instigator and that the charges against the deputies should be dismissed by the judge under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
“The case should be dismissed because the state elected and chose just to call Delucca Rolle, to put on one witness. And we don’t think that witness ... proves by clear and convincing evidence that they are not immunized under the Stand Your Ground statute,” said Eric Schwartzreich, LaCerra’s attorney.
Last week, Rolle testified. He was 15 when his attorney said he was pepper-sprayed by deputies and his face slammed into the pavement in April 2019.
On Monday, the defense called witnesses who saw the commotion leading up to that takedown that was caught on video.
Deputies were called to the parking lot in Tamarac with word of yet another large fight involving high school students at that location.
Law enforcement officers testified how not only were those officers in danger that day, but they’ve also had their own problems in the past responding to groups of rowdy students at the same location in Tamarac
Attorneys for the deputies argue that students were causing the chaos and that Rolle was instigating, wanting to fight deputies who were arresting his friend for trespassing.
Schwartzreich said some witnesses are scared to testify for fear of repercussions.
Prosecutors say Rolle wasn’t even involved in the fight. He tried to grab his friend’s cell phone from the ground when, in the chaos, they say officers turned to him even though he was already walking away.
The hearing will continue Tuesday with a handful more defense witnesses to be called, after which there could be a decision.