Manatee judge drops charges in fatal shooting, drawing Bradenton protest
A Manatee County judge’s decision to dismiss a murder charge in a Bradenton shooting is drawing outrage from the victim’s family and local activists.
The court ruling cites Florida’s “stand your ground” law. But critics say it’s an example of racial inequality in the criminal justice system.
Jordan Glanz, 28, was released from jail on June 2 after Circuit Judge Frederick Mercurio dismissed a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of 49-year-old Deondrick Anderson, according to court records. Mercurio said prosecutors failed to prove Glanz was not acting in self-defense during a confrontation outside the Oneco Rose Bar last year.
“Jordan spent almost 11 months in jail when he was innocent of the charge,” said his attorney, Brett McIntosh. “I’m very happy for Jordan. I believed in this case from the beginning.”
But the ruling drew condemnation from Anderson’s family and a group of more than two dozen supporters at a press conference outside the Manatee County Judicial Center on Monday, where they urged prosecutors to appeal the decision and voiced their disappointment with the justice system.
“You took my boy’s life,” said Angela Anderson, Deondrick’s mother. “He will never see his grandchildren grow up. I will never hear him wish me another happy birthday.”
Angela described her son as a dedicated teacher, mentor and father who worked with underprivileged youth and those experiencing homelessness.
“The judicial system has once again given Jordan a slap on the hand,” she said.
Fatal shooting in Oneco
The shooting happened in July after a car accident between Glanz and Anderson in the parking lot of the Oneco Rose Bar, 103 Cortez Road W., the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
Deputies said an argument broke out after the crash, and Glanz shot Anderson before leaving the scene. Anderson was taken to HCA Florida Blake Hospital and died from his injuries 10 days later.
While driving out of the parking lot, detectives said Glanz hit a 2014 black Infiniti driven by Anderson. After the crash, investigators said Anderson walked over to the driver’s side door of Glanz’s truck, where they began exchanging words.
One witness told investigators that during the exchange, which became heated, they saw Glanz’s girlfriend grab a handgun from the glovebox and hand it to him. Another witness allegedly saw Glanz spit on Anderson and swing a punch at him.
Detectives said Anderson responded by punching Glanz while he was still seated in the truck.
Glanz left the scene but later called 911 to report the incident and seek medical treatment, his attorney said. Glanz later told deputies he acted in self-defense, according to an arrest report.
He turned himself in weeks later and was initially charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
After Anderson’s death, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office upgraded the charge to second-degree murder, and Glanz was arrested again in August. He remained in custody until his release due to Mercurio’s ruling, according to court records.
Judge drops murder charge
During the “stand your ground” hearing, McIntosh said surveillance footage played a key role in the judge’s decision. The video, he said, showed Anderson reaching into Glanz’s vehicle and punching him repeatedly in the face while Glanz was still seated. Glanz initially tried to defend himself with his hands, but fired one shot when the attack continued, McIntosh said.
“Jordan did everything right,” he said. “He wasn’t under the influence. He stopped to exchange information, which is what the law requires. When he was attacked, he tried to defend himself. The shot stopped the attack, and then he called 911 and went to the hospital.”
Critics of the ruling pointed to the state’s “stand your ground” law as part of a flawed legal system.
“There is a problem in this state when ‘stand your ground’ can be misconstrued and applied to this situation,” said Deanna Joseph with Black Lives Matter Grassroots Florida. “Let the tables have been turned. We’ll see who would have been prosecuted.”
Under Florida law, defendants are not entitled to “stand your ground” immunity if they are committing a crime at the time of the incident. In this case, prosecutors argued that Glanz was ineligible because he was driving with a suspended license.
But Mercurio rejected that argument, writing that the confrontation escalated too quickly for Glanz to retreat.
“The state failed in its burden to demonstrate that Defendant could have reasonably retreated from this fight once it began,” the judge wrote.
McIntosh criticized prosecutors for leaning on the suspended license.
“That’s not what the legislature intended,” he said. “This law is supposed to provide immunity when someone is defending themselves from a violent attack.”
Family reacts to court decision
At Monday’s press conference, Angela Anderson was joined by Tracey Washington and Matilda Dubois, two Bradenton mothers who have also lost children to violence and have previously spoken out in Bradenton Herald coverage.
Washington, whose son Breonte Johnson-Davis died in police custody in 2023 following a stun gun encounter during a mental health crisis, said the decision reflects a justice system that routinely fails Black families.
“We have to demand the transparency that we need in all of these occurrences when they steal our children,” Washington said. “The system was never set up for us. The system was set up to always fail us.”
Dubois, whose daughter Sacouya Brice was one of three women killed in a 2024 shooting spree, stood in support of Anderson’s family.
Organizers with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and other advocacy groups accused the court of shielding a white defendant from accountability and demanded that prosecutors appeal the ruling. Under Florida law, the State Attorney’s Office can challenge a pretrial dismissal.
Organizer Ruth Beltran pointed to the 2018 killing of Markeis McGlockton in Clearwater as precedent. In that case, shooter Michael Drejka initially avoided arrest under “stand your ground,” but prosecutors later charged him with manslaughter. A jury convicted Drejka in 2019.
“Let the evidence be heard in court,” Beltran said. “Glanz should face a jury, just like Drejka did.”
Angela Anderson echoed that sentiment, urging prosecutors to follow through and let a jury decide.
Despite the criticism, McIntosh stood by the outcome.
“Any loss of life is tragic,” he said. “But Jordan did what he was not only legally allowed to do, but really the only rational thing he could do in the moment.”
