OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting another man during a fight.
The Ocala Star-Banner reports that jurors found Robert Bavle guilty Thursday of the lesser charge. Prosecutors had been seeking a second-degree murder conviction. No sentencing date was immediately set.
Authorities say Bavle shot Jonathan Sullivan 13 times outside an Ocala restaurant in June 2017. Witnesses say Sullivan had hit Bavle in the back of the head, prompting Bavle to pull out a gun and open fire. Investigators say Sullivan tried to run away, and Bavle chased the other man and continued to shoot.
Bavle testified that Sullivan had been stalking and harassing Bavle after accusing him of stealing a gun from Sullivan at a friend’s home in Orlando.
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