MIAMI — A man who says he was the victim of a burglary attempt chased a man down a South Florida street and shot and wounded him with an assault-style rifle as he begged for his life, authorities said.
Corthoris Jenkins, 28, was charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, court documents showed Friday.
Jenkins told investigators he was playing video games when a man burst into his Miami-area apartment on Tuesday, the Miami Herald reported. Instead of calling 911, Jenkins grabbed the rifle and ran after the man, who fell to his knees in the street, a police detective said in court.
“He begins to what appears to be to beg for his life,” Miami-Dade Detective Iry Watson told a judge on Wednesday afternoon. “But the defendant takes the assault rifle and shoots him multiple times.”
Authorities said the man who was shot remained hospitalized Friday, and detectives have not yet been able to talk to him. There was no immediate report on his condition or the extent of his injuries.
Jenkins initially told investigators he “blacked out” and couldn’t remember anything about the shooting, a police report said.
At the court hearing, Jenkins spoke about the events before the judge. “I didn’t shoot him while he was on the ground,” he said, according to the Herald’s report. He added: “I’m the victim, ma’am.”
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer shook her head and said, “You’re the victim of a potential burglary, but you can’t just go around shooting people,” the Herald reported.
Police found eight bullet casings on the ground at the scene, the police report said. Officers found Jenkins walking away, and he immediately gave up his gun, authorities said.
A lawyer for Jenkins wasn’t listed in court records.
