Accused Cop Shooter Flips Out On Judge During Bond Hearing
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- In bond court Saturday, accused cop shooter David Mejia used his opportunity in front of a judge to vent his frustrations about everything from "crooked cops" to what he referred to as the glorification of George Zimmerman, the man who fatally shot Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.
As the judge read off Mejia's laundry list of charges, including five attempted murder charges, Mejia took offense to the fact that his charges were non-bondable offenses.
"So a white kid that shoots up a church gets a bond and I can't get one," asked Mejia, referring to the case of Dylann Roof, the convicted shooter of the historic Charleston church attended primarily by black members.
Mejia's attorney urged him not to talk about the case.
"I practice my second amendment rights. My life was in danger by crooked cops," Mejia shot back.
When Mejia was told a second time to avoid talking about the "facts," he instead ridiculed the one man sworn to defend him.
"How about you don't talk? You work for them, you Ku Klux Klan member," said Mejia.
Police officers have rallied around Miami Gardens Officer David Starling, who officials said was ambushed by Mejia while he was sitting in his patrol writing a traffic report. They said Mejia drove passed the officer, reversed and then opened fire for no apparent reason.
In court, a shackled Mejia seemed to be offering cryptic messages for alleged motivations.
"What about my little brother Trayvon," asked Mejia, waiting for some of kind of answer.
Officer Starling miraculously avoided about six shots sent straight into his driver-side door and was struck only in the buttocks. He managed to radio for help and give fellow officers a description of the shooter and direction he was headed.
After a short police pursuit, in which officers said Mejia continued to fire at officers, he crashed his vehicle and was quickly arrested.
Back in court, the judge advised Mejia to listen to his attorney and not speak. Mejia then dismissed him.
"I'm representing myself, ma'am," Mejia announced.
As the judge ignored him, Mejia's tirade became increasingly more bizarre.
"Y'all got more blood on y'all than I got blood on my hands," he shouted. "How you got Zimmerman born in Ft. Lauderdale? How you got Zimmerman on the wall over there, huh? To glorify that shit?"
And although Mejia dismissed him, his attorney asked that his former client still be allowed to invoke his rights to an attorney before commenting further.
"Yeah, he's clearly mentally ill. Clearly. Your arguments are accepted," said the judge.
Officer Starling survived the shooting and is recovering in the hospital.
