When a strip mall owner in the Florida Keys shot and killed an unarmed man, surveillance footage and 911 audio recorded the tragic act.
On February 13th, 2021, Lloyd Preston Brewer III, a 57-year-old owner of a mall in the Florida Keys, encountered Garrett Hughes, a 21-year-old shirtless man who had been urinating on the side of one of his buildings. According to police reports, the grainy surveillance footage captured Brewer in a “shooting stance,” which was ultimately fatal for the young victim.
Brewer called 911, claiming his act of self-defense after Hughes allegedly charged at him in the parking lot at the Conch Town Liquor & Lounge. However, a law enforcement investigation of the video concluded that there was no evidence to support this hypothetical.
In late March, the victim’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Brewer and entities related to the killer and his family, aiming to hold them accountable for what happened. Although Brewer or his family does not own the bar itself, the suit alleges that their negligence allowed the shooting to take place as owners of the building.
Brewer is currently detained in the Monroe County Jail without bond, and at his arraignment in February, his defense attorney requested to have him remain with no bail.
The case of Lloyd Preston Brewer III has come to represent a personal tragedy stemming from one man’s actions. Even though he has claimed self-defense, the prosecutors claim that he shot and killed Garrett Hughes for urinating on his building, while the defense argues the video does not prove such a thing. The court will ultimately decide the outcome.