Former federal prosecutor seen smashing car window before stabbing driver reveals defense
A former federal prosecutor in Florida who was caught on camera repeatedly stabbing a driver during rush hour traffic is hoping to have his case thrown out as part of a 'stand your ground' defense.
Patrick Scruggs, 40, was filmed attacking motorist Blake Sharp, 35, in the middle of the Howard Frankland Bridge in September 2023.
Scruggs appeared in court on Friday, asking for his multiple charges of aggravated battery, assault and burglary to be dismissed.
The former rising star in the US Attorney's Office in Tampa is asking for the charges against him to be dropped under a law which permits an individual to use force, which could even be deadly, in instances of self-defense or to defend against violent crimes.
Sharp was on his way to work after dropping off his kids at school at the time when the incident with Scruggs took place.
The driver maintains he had a medical emergency at the wheel which caused him to pass out and accidentally accelerate into Scruggs' car when he regained consciousness.
'My first memory is waking up with someone stabbing me,' Sharp testified. 'All I could think of was trying to call my wife and tell her I wouldn't be coming home because some psychopath was stabbing me.'
Video of the incident shows Scruggs shattering the driver's side window with the butt of a knife and then lunging inside, stabbing Sharp multiple times.
Scruggs briefly walks away before briefly returning to stab him again.
Now his legal team are arguing that he was acting to protect other motorists from what he believed was a drunk driver.
But Sharp, who has a long criminal record and is currently serving a two-year sentence for a separate battery case, hit back at this in court.
'Just because I'm a felon does not give your client the right to stab me,' he told the court.
According to witnesses, the chain of events began when drivers spotted Sharp's Lexus stopped in a traffic lane on the Howard Frankland Bridge.
One passerby, Ahmad Gahaf, told the court during Friday's hearing how he approached to help.
'I said, "Open the window, I help you",' Gahaf recalled.
But as Sharp stirred, he suddenly accelerated, smashing into Gahaf's car and then veering into Scruggs' passing Honda Civic.
Moments later, Scruggs emerged with a pocketknife in hand.
Court records show Scruggs tried shouting at Sharp to turn off the car and get out.
When he didn't comply, Scruggs shattered the driver's side window.
A struggle ensued and Scruggs is seen on video stabbing Sharp in the arm multiple times.
'He's bleeding! I just stabbed him! He needs an ambulance!' Scruggs reportedly shouted to a 911 dispatcher, according to court documents.
Scruggs' actions didn't stop with the stabbing. Witness Ahmad Gahaf says that when he tried to intervene, Scruggs then turned the knife on him.
'He almost stabbed me too,' Gahaf told reporters.
Bystander, Amanda Post, filmed part of the incident from her car - but said she was terrified to be seen in case Scruggs turned on her
Another bystander, Amanda Post, filmed part of the incident from her car, but said she was terrified to be seen.
'I was afraid if he saw me take a video of it, he could break down my window and come after me,' she said.
In court filings, Scruggs' attorneys argued that the former prosecutor was trying to stop a potentially intoxicated driver from endangering others.
'(Scruggs) intervened to stop Mr. Sharp's efforts to flee the scene,' the motion reads. 'If he had not done so, he and other morning commuters would have been in danger.'
The defense also noted Sharp's criminal history and suggested he may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Medical records showed normal blood sugar levels, contradicting Sharp's claim that he suffered a diabetic episode.
Scruggs testified that he feared for his life and the lives of others when he saw Sharp attempting to flee.
'I thought he was going to kill someone,' Scruggs said on the stand. 'I had to stop him.'
Under Florida's 'stand your ground' law, in place since 2005, individuals are not required to retreat before using deadly force if they believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.
If the judge agrees that Scruggs acted reasonably, he could be declared immune from prosecution.
In a surprising development, new court filings revealed that Sharp has worked as a confidential informant for Pinellas County in the past.
Defense attorneys are now seeking access to communications between Sharp and prosecutors to determine whether he received favorable treatment in exchange for cooperation.
'I aided them in busting a lot of fentanyl dealers,' Sharp admitted in a deposition. He insisted, however, that he was not working with the state at the time of the bridge incident.
The defense has also filed a Brady motion, requesting all potentially exculpatory evidence, including anything that could undermine Sharp's credibility.
The judge has yet to issue a ruling on the stand your ground motion, but both sides agree that the outcome could dramatically reshape the trajectory of the case.
If Scruggs is granted immunity, the charges will be dropped. If not, he could face trial later this year.
FLORIDA'S STAND YOUR GROUND LAW
In 2005, Florida enacted its law whereby it is legal for a person to exert deadly force if:
I) the person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself, or another, or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or
II) the person acts under a reasonable belief as to the necessity of force
In most cases, self-defense only works as a criminal defense if a person has tried to get themselves out of danger and has failed to do so. It is known as a 'duty to retreat'.
Stand Your Ground states differ because they do not impose a duty to retreat.
In Florida, the law not only protects a person from criminal prosecution, but also from civil proceedings.
It is one of the strongest among the states that have Stand Your Ground laws.
Versions of the laws are in effect in at least 28 states.
The law sparked fury in 2012 in Florida when a jury acquitted George Zimmerman in the death of teenager Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in the town of Sanford, followed Martin, who he said was behaving 'suspiciously' as he walked to a 7-Eleven to get a snack.
They got into an altercation afterwards and Zimmerman shot him in the chest.
Lawyers for Zimmerman said he acted in self-defense with justifiable use of deadly force and he was acquitted of all charges.
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