CLEARWATER -- The man convicted of shooting Markeis McGlockton to death in a dispute over a handicapped parking space was attacked by another inmate at a prison in Trenton, near Gainesville Tuesday.
The state Department of Corrections says it happened Feb. 11 around 12:30 in the afternoon at the Lancaster Correctional Institution, and was brought under control by guards. DOC describes the attack as an "isolated incident" and says it's being investigated. Drejka was examined by medical staff and is being kept separate from the general population for now while prison officials review the situation.
A Pinellas County jury found Drejka guilty of manslaughter last year, in connection with McGlockton's death in 2018. That came after Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri initially refused to arrest Drejka, over concern that he was protected by the stand your ground law. McGlockton, who was unarmed, shoved Drejka to the ground after he confronted McGlockton's girlfriend over their car being parked in a handicapped space. Because McGlockton was black and Drejka is white, the case drew comparisons to incidents such as the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford.
Here's the full statement from FDOC:
On February 11, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Inmate Michael Drejka (J80557) was involved in an isolated incident with another inmate. The situation was brought under control by institution security staff.
Per standard protocol, Inmate Drejka was examined by medical staff and the incident is being investigated. At this time, Drejka is in administrative confinement separate from the general population, pending protective management review.
The Florida Department of Corrections is committed to providing for the safety and wellbeing of all inmates in custody. Inmates who cause harm to others are held accountable for their actions. This includes administrative sanctions, placement in restrictive housing and criminal charges if applicable. This is done for the safety of staff and other inmates.
The Department uses every tool at their disposal to mitigate violence within our institutions. Correctional Officers are diligent in their efforts to search inmates and common areas to eradicate weapons and unauthorized property. At the forefront of our efforts is an agency-wide effort to recruit and retain correctional officers statewide.
As a health-care provider, FDC is prohibited from addressing, explaining or informing anyone about an inmate’s personal health information by federal and state privacy laws. FDC takes this responsibility seriously. Information about an inmate’s health status released by attorneys or other parties cannot be acknowledged, explained, corrected or even addressed by FDC.
Photo: Florida Department of Corrections