Arrest Made on Shooting Death of a Gay Man at Tampa Bay Park

 

John Walter Lay was killed at Dog Park in Tampa Bay

 

By Matt Lavietes

NBC

A man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to a shooting at a Tampa dog park last month that led to the death of a 52-year-old gay man, Florida prosecutors said Friday.

Gerald Declan Radford, 65, was charged with second-degree murder for the deadly shooting of John Walter Lay, which Radford initially alleged was in self-defense, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Prosecutors said their investigation revealed that Radford used bigoted slurs toward the victim before shooting him and are seeking a hate crime enhancement on the charge. 

“We should all be able to enjoy a day at the dog park without the fear of gunfire. This victim also deserved to live free from fear and discrimination based on his sexual orientation,” Florida State Attorney Suzy Lopez said in a statement. “The evidence shows the defendant’s actions were motivated by hate, and he will be held accountable. My heart is with the victim’s family and large group of friends as we fight for justice together.”

John Walter Lay.WFLA

Radford is expected to appear in court Saturday, according to Erin Maloney, a spokesperson for Lopez. Information about an attorney for Radford was not immediately available. 

LGBTQ advocates welcomed the charges but criticized a state law that protects individuals from facing prosecution for homicide if they claim they killed someone to defend themselves, also known as a “stand your ground” law.

“With the arrest of Gerald Declan Radford, the question of guilt moves to the courts, but the verdict is already in on Florida’s notorious Stand Your Ground law: This law doesn’t just fail to protect; it actively endangers, turning what should be last-resort measures into first instincts, with tragic outcomes,” LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida said in a statement. “The absence of a duty to retreat to safety is too often exploited to justify murder without consequence.”

 Lopez’s office noted in a news release Friday the frustration some felt regarding the length of time it took for the charges to be brought, roughly a month. 

Radford allegedly shot Lay at West Dog Park in Tampa on Feb. 2. Google Maps

“It is important to note how difficult it can be to refute a Stand Your Ground claim in some cases because the only other witness to the incident is deceased,” the release said. “Throughout this investigation, community members stepped forward with important information about ongoing tensions that helped add context to the incident.” 

The day before the shooting, Lay filmed a video that he shared with friends, suggesting that Radford was threatening to harm him. This helped prosecutors make their case for the charges, the release said. It’s unclear how Lay and Radford knew each other before the incident.