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The manslaughter trial of Demetrius Omega Elder is taking place Broward County, Florida. Prosecutors say that he and Armando Baptista stabbed Fakhradeen Muhammad Knight in a road rage incident on April 25, 2014. The defense, however, says there is more it to than that. They are expected to argue that the defendant was just defending Baptista from the victim. Elder failed to convince a judge of this last month during a hearing, and now jurors will have to decide.
Miramar police determined that Knight was stabbed multiple times, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. One wound punctured his heart, causing his death, cops said.
Knight’s girlfriend told police that she and Knight left a party, and were blocked at stop sign by a stationary vehicle. It didn’t move despite Knight’s honking, so he stepped out of his car and approached, the woman said. He called out a name (she didn’t remember which), the arrest report said. She then saw the passenger of the vehicle step out, and talk to Knight. They seemed have a cordial conversation until Knight went for an apparent handshake when the passenger threw a punch, she said. The men fought. The girlfriend stepped out of the car to help her boyfriend get away, when he yelled, “He has a knife!”
It was then that the other driver allegedly stepped out of his vehicle, and upon the girlfriend’s urging, took the knife away from the passenger. She got Knight away from the passenger, but both driver and the passenger began to strike Knight, she said. Both alleged attackers returned to their vehicle, and as the passenger did so, he pointed the knife at Knight and said, “You’re dead motherfucker. This ain’t over,” according to the girlfriend. She wasn’t sure when he got the knife back. The duo allegedly fled the scene.
Prosecutors say Elder was the driver, Baptista the passenger. They won’t stand trial together, however. Baptista’s former attorney left the case after facing discipline with the Florida Bar Association, so he had to get a new lawyer. He is due in court in August.
Elder’s defense argue that Knight attacked first. They claim Elder and Baptista were at the same party as Knight and his girlfriend, and allege that the victim was brought there as muscle to settle a problem between Baptista and another person.
