‘Stand your ground’ hearing in deadly St. Augustine shooting now in the hands of a judge

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A judge will have to make a decision on whether or not a deadly St. Augustine shooting was justified.

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Prosecutors and the attorney for Luis Casado wrapped up their arguments on Thursday, in the “stand your ground” hearing.

In 2021, 37-year-old Adam Amoia was shot and killed by Casado after a fight outside Dos Gatos in St. Augustine.

Casado’s attorneys replayed that night in court. They said Casado approached a group of men who had all been drinking. They said Amoia became aggressive.

Read: JSO: Man dead after being shot multiple times in Lake Forest

“He figured out he [Casado] doesn’t know anybody. He’s not the same as us. He doesn’t look like us. He doesn’t dress like us,” Casado’s attorney said. He added that Amoia then told Casado to get out of there.

Amoia began slapping Casado, multiple times. Casado pulled out his gun, firing multiple rounds. Two bullets hit Amoia in the back as he ran away.

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“Even if he wasn’t in great bodily harm, he’s allowed to use deadly force if there’s forcible felony being asserted upon him,” Casado’s attorney said.

In closing arguments, the prosecutor acknowledged that Adam Amoia and his group of friends were not in the right for fighting with Casado, but he said Casado took it too far.

“Mr. Casado would have been perfectly justified in using any other reasonable force to repel the force that was being used against him,” the prosecutor said. “But not pulling out a gun and shooting Adam Amoia as many times as he did.”

A decision will have to wait. Both parties must submit written orders by 5 p.m. on Dec. 16. Then the judge will make a decision on whether the “stand your ground” rule applies in this case.

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“It’s not lost on me that this has been going on for a year and a half” the judge said. “Everyone wants to see a resolution as soon possible, so I will do my best to make that as quick as possible.”