Florida man accused of hate crime in deadly shooting of gay man claims self-defense

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man accused of a hate crime for killing a gay man is asking a judge to dismiss the charges, saying he acted in self-defense. Gerald Radford testified on Friday that he feared for his own life when he shot John “Walt” Lay at a Tampa dog park on Feb. 2. He says Lay repeatedly hit him in the face just before the shooting. Prosecutors dispute Radford’s story, saying it is unlikely that Lay was on top of Radford when Lay was shot. Several witnesses testified Friday that Radford had harassed Lay for months before the shooting, repeatedly using homophobic slurs. Radford is charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors are seeking additional hate-crime penalties if Radford is convicted.