North Miami man claims self-defense against ‘taser knuckles.’ State drops murder case
A North Miami man will not be prosecuted for fatally shooting his former lover because he was under attack with “brass knuckles” designed to also act as a powerful stun gun.
The state on Thursday declined to press charges against Bernard St. Pierre for the July 16 fatal shooting of George Addison, who also went by the name Cleo. The two had been in an on-again, off-again relationship.
North Miami police had arrested St. Pierre on a charge of second-degree murder. But according to a final memo on the case, prosecutors said St. Pierre only fired after he was hit with the knuckles — which were also capable of shooting an electric volt similar to a Taser stun gun.
The brass-knuckles attack and shooting were captured on surveillance video, which prosecutors said backed up St. Pierre’s claim. Under Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law, someone does not have a duty to retreat before using deadly force to counter a threat. A recent law change also put the onus on prosecutors to disprove a claim of self-defense.
“The State cannot prove that his actions were not justified,” Assistant State Attorney Tiffany Finger wrote in her final memo. “Thus, he is immune from criminal prosecution.”
According to the prosecutors, this is how the case unfolded:
St. Pierre had fallen asleep in his car outside his North Miami home when he was “awakened by a big bang — someone hitting his side mirror and door.” He said it was Addison, his former lover, and the two began to argue about their break-up.
Addison told St. Pierre he could get the rest of his belongings at Addison’s home. Not long after, St. Pierre drove over to the house and another argument took place inside.
Inside the home, St. Pierre claimed, Addison hit him with a skateboard and “continued to attack him,” ripping his shirt. St. Pierre went outside, where the fight continued.
Surveillance video shows that Addison was “slapping the defendant in the face and [St. Pierre] not striking back,” the memo said. Addison left, and seconds later, returned with the stun gun brass knuckles — “punching the defendant in the face with the weapon.”
The video shows St. Pierre fired moments later, unleashing a volley of bullets. Addison ran off, mortally wounded, and died at a neighbor’s apartment.
The light from the knuckles is clearly visible in the video, prosecutors said, indicating it could have been fired. Stun-gun knuckles are a niche security product, marketed as ideal for joggers or runners suddenly attacked. Some stun knuckles aren’t actually brass, but rubber; one brand, ZAP, touts a 950,000-volt charge.
St. Pierre had actually bought the knuckles for Addison at a gun show. Although prosecutors refer to the weapon as “taser knuckles,” it was unclear what brand stun knuckles Addison wielded. Under Florida case law, brass knuckles have been ruled a deadly weapon.
According to prosecutors, St. Pierre did not flee but instead went to his car and called 911 to report the shooting. The gun was legal, and St. Pierre also had a valid concealed firearms permit.
