Court hears case of deputy who shot man armed with air gun

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - An appeals court is considering a judge’s dismissal of a manslaughter charge against a Florida deputy who fatally shot a black man carrying an air rifle.

Oral arguments were held Tuesday before the 4th District Court of Appeal by prosecutors and the attorney for Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Peter Peraza. A circuit judge last year threw out the manslaughter charge against Peraza under Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law, which allows residents to respond to physical threats with deadly force.

Prosecutors said the judge’s ruling was wrong and that a jury should hear the case.

Peraza was charged for fatally shooting 33-year-old Jermaine McBean in 2013 after 911 callers reported a man carrying a rifle down a busy street. Peraza is a white Latino.

An appeals court ruling is likely weeks or months away.