A Florida man is behind bars after authorities claim he chased and shot a burglar multiple times as he begged for his life.
The shooting took place on Tuesday in North-Miami Dade. 28-year-old Corthoris Jenkins was playing video games in his apartment when Xavier West broke into the man’s home. Jenkins armed himself with an assault-style rifle and chased West, who was unarmed at the time, out of the apartment. Once outside, and more than 580 feet away from the apartment, authorities say that West pleaded with Jenkins not to shoot him as he was on his knees defenseless. After allegedly shooting West several times, Jenkins was located walking away from the scene a short time later by responding officers. He immediately surrendered his weapon and complied with the police.
“He begins to, what appears to be, to beg for his life,” Miami-Dade Detective Iry Watson told a judge Wednesday afternoon. “But the defendant takes the assault rifle and shoots him multiple times.”
Initially, Jenkins said that he’d “blacked out” and could not recall the shooting. He later admitted to the shooting to Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer on Wednesday.
“I didn’t shoot him while he was on the ground,” he explained. “I’m the victim, ma’am.”
Glazer, however, did not see it that way. She said that Jenkins was only the victim of a robbery and nothing more.
“You’re the victim of a potential burglary, but you can’t just go around shooting people,” she said, before advising Jenkins not to speak without his lawyer being present. She also agreed with the prosecutors that the shooting was premeditated.
“He had time for reflection as he’s pointing the gun, as he’s begging on his knees. That’s premeditation.”
As of Friday, West remains “incubated” in a hospital. Authorities have not had a chance to hear his side of the story.
Jenkins is being held without bond and charged with attempted first-degree murder.
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