Nationwide — Jamarian Byrd and Travis Roberts Jr., two African American men from Macclenny, Florida, who say they acted in self-defense after a teenager allegedly fired at them, are challenging first-degree murder charges stemming from the deadly shooting. The men are asking an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision denying them immunity under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. Their attorneys argue that they faced an immediate threat and had the legal right to respond with deadly force.
Court records say Byrd, then 22, and Roberts, 24, were outside a home when a 19-year-old white teen named Devin Powers Jr. and his 14-year-old companion, who is also white, approached them. The teenagers were reportedly armed, and court testimony says Powers pointed a single-shot shotgun at Byrd and Roberts before firing, and so the two men returned fire. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the confrontation, which unfolded within seconds. Powers was struck in the neck and later collapsed on a porch. He died three days later. The 14-year-old was shot in the leg but survived.
The defense says the confrontation came after an earlier dispute involving Powers and a man known as Bud, who knew Byrd and Roberts. Witnesses testified that Powers had allegedly pointed a gun at Bud during an argument before Bud took the weapon and slapped him. Family members later said Powers obtained another firearm despite efforts to convince him to remain inside. He eventually left the home with the 14-year-old, and the two later encountered Byrd and Roberts. Baker County Sheriff Scotty Rhoden initially described the shooting as self-defense, saying, “At that point their lives are in fear, that is self-defense.” Authorities charged Byrd and Roberts with first-degree murder and other offenses 11 days later. They have remained at the Baker County Detention Center without bail.
The case now centers on when their right to defend themselves ended. Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law generally protects people who use deadly force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm. Judge Denise Ferrero agreed that Byrd and Roberts initially had the right to defend themselves. In her ruling, she said they were “entitled to use deadly force” after Powers “raised a shotgun and pointed it” at them and fired. However, she determined that the justification ended when Powers began retreating and was no longer a deadly threat. The judge also cited evidence that Byrd and Roberts continued firing as Powers moved toward a residence. Prosecutors said the men fired at least 47 bullets into the neighborhood. The defense disputes that account and argues that Powers remained armed, meaning the threat may not have ended when he moved away.
According to Atlanta Black Star, a Baker County grand jury indicted the men on first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated battery, and charges related to firing a deadly missile into a dwelling, building, or vessel. The Baker County State Attorney’s Office confirmed that the case remains active and that a case management hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29. The charges could carry severe prison penalties, adding to the distress felt by the men’s families. Roberts’ mother, Kalissa Warnick, said, “You know what that carries. That’s life in prison.” Byrd’s mother, Latelsa Bowen, described the past year as filled with “hurt, scared, anxious” feelings.
The Jacksonville NAACP is also calling for the law to be applied fairly as the appeal moves forward. President Isaiah Rumlin said, “We feel that this is a clear Stand Your Ground case.” The organization said race, neighborhood, and background should not affect how self-defense claims are evaluated. Byrd’s attorney has asked Florida’s First District Court of Appeal to overturn Ferrero’s decision through a petition for a writ of prohibition. The appeal could determine whether the two men receive immunity before trial. If the court rejects the petition, the murder and other felony charges will continue toward trial. For now, the central legal question remains whether Byrd and Roberts’ right to use deadly force continued after Powers began moving away, or whether the threat had already ended.