Mother Protecting Son Cleared in Shooting Death of Husband

By Jenn Jacques

Prosecutors in Ocala, Florida have determined the March 22nd shooting death of 53-year-old Mark Penland by his wife was in an effort to protect her teenage son and therefore justified.

“Whether applying stand your ground or justifiable use of deadly force law, under the facts of this case, Dinkins-Penland was legally allowed to use deadly force based on a reasonable fear that her life, her mother’s life and certainly her son’s life were in danger,” according to the five-page document written by Assistant State Attorney Amy Berndt.

According to Berndt’s memo, on March 22, Dinkins-Penland allowed her son to invite a friend at their Ocala residence to celebrate her son’s 14th birthday. Other family members were also invited.

Mark Penland, who had been married to Michelle Dinkins-Penland for a little more than a year, was upset about something and went outside to grill chicken for himself and refused to go inside to sing happy birthday to his stepson.

When the teenage boy went outside, guests heard a “thump” and the boy’s friend alerted them to a fight.

Michelle and her mother rushed outside and witnessed Mark pinning the teen to the door and beating him, the memo states. The boy’s mother and grandmother …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms