A Florida inmate attacked a fellow prisoner in retaliation for shooting an unarmed black man nearly two years ago, according to a report.
Benjamin Martin, 31, hit Michael Drejka, 49, with a combination lock attached to a sock on Feb. 11 as they were housed at the Lancaster Correctional Institutional outside Gainesville, according to a Florida Department of Corrections report obtained by the Tampa Bay Times.
Martin, a St. Petersburg man serving a six-year sentence for drug trafficking, told prison staffers he targeted Drejka as retribution for the July 2018 fatal shooting of Markeis McGlockton, a slaying that reignited debate surrounding the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law, according to the report.
Martin said he attacked Drejka in a hallway outside a prison dorm because he “shot and killed his brother Markeis McGlockton on the street,” corrections officials said in the report.
Drejka needed five stitches to close his wounds, his attorneys told Tampa Bay Times.
But there’s no indication that Martin is related to McGlockton, a 28-year-old father of four who was from Clearwater, the newspaper reports.
Drejka, who is white, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October after being convicted of manslaughter in the death of McGlockton, who was shot outside a convenience store during an argument over a handicapped parking space.
At one point during the confrontation, McGlockton was seen on video shoving Drejka to the ground. Drejka then shot McGlockton as the man backed away. A judge called Drejka a “wanna-be” law enforcement officer during his sentencing.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri declined to arrest Drejka, saying the shooting wasn’t a crime under a state law that allows deadly force if someone believes it’s necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm. But state prosecutors ultimately disagreed and charged Drejka with manslaughter three weeks later.
An attorney for McGlockton’s family, meanwhile, said the man’s parents were unaware of any connection between Martin and their son, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The pair were “shocked” by news of Drejka’s attack, but declined further comment, according to the newspaper.
Martin remains in confinement amid administrative and criminal investigations into the incident, corrections officials said.
Drejka, meawhile, was placed in protective custody and moved to another institution following the attack, prison records show.
“I just hope and pray that the Department of Corrections continues to ensure Mr. Drejka’s safety in the future,” attorney John Trevana told the newspaper.