Florida man faces attempted murder charge after he 'shot burglar several times with an assault rifle as he begged for his life on his knees'

 A Florida man faces an attempted murder charge after he chased a supposed home burglar into the street and allegedly shot him multiple times while the man begged for his life.   

Corthoris Jenkins, 28, of Miami, was arrested December 1, after police found him near the shooting scene, which was about 582 feet from his home. 

Jenkins was then charged with attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. 

He was accused of using an assault-style rifle to shoot Xavier West, who Jenkins and his girlfriend claim had broken into Jenkins' apartment. 

Jenkins told police he had been in his bedroom playing video games when West broke into the apartment, the Miami Herald reported. 

Instead of calling 911, police said that Jenkins picked up his rifle and then chased West out of the home and down the street. 

During a premeditation hearing Wednesday, Miami-Dade Detective Iry Watson described the contents of a surveillance video that captured the incident.  

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Jenkins (right in court) is accused of chasing Xavier West from his home and into the street. Police said it appeared West was on his knees, begging for his life, when he was shot

Watson said that the video showed West running across the street, with Jenkins in pursuit. At the street corner, Watson said it appeared that West 'pleads for his life' before walking north. 

Then, Watson said the video shows West appearing to get on his knees and 'He begins to what appears to be to beg for his life. But the defendant takes the assault rifle and shoots him multiple times.'

According to the police report, obtained by the Miami Herald, police found eight bullet casings on the ground where the shooting occurred. Officers found Jenkins walking away from the scene and he immediately turned over his gun. 

Watson said in court that the surveillance video showed West running from the direction of Jenkins' home. 

When police executed a search warrant at the home, Watson said they did not find any signs of forced entry, which appeared to draw a surprise 'no?' out of Jenkins, who was also in court.   

Watson said that Jenkins' landlady told police that only Watson and his girlfriend were supposed to be on the property.

It was unclear if Jenkins or West knew each other prior to the incident. 

West was taken to Ryder Trauma Center, where he was treated for his wounds. Watson said he had not been able to speak with West because he was still intubated.  

After listening to the detective's statements, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer mulled over whether premeditation was evident. 

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The shooting (pictured) took place near this Miami intersection, about 582 feet from Jenkins' home. Surveillance video showed West running from the direction of Jenkins' home

Jenkins 'had time for reflection as he’s pointing the gun as he’s begging on his knees. That’s premeditation,' Glazer said.  

Jenkins could then be heard claiming from the stand that 'I didn’t shoot him while he was on the ground' and that 'I'm the victim, ma'am.'

Glazer told him not to say anything before speaking with a lawyer. 

She also noted: 'You’re the victim of a potential burglary, but you can’t just go around shooting people.'

According to his arrest report, Jenkins had told police that he 'blacked out' and didn't recall any details about the shooting.

Florida has a Stand Your Ground self-defense law, which allows the use of deadly force to counter a threat without requiring retreat, first. Critics have said that this law encourages vigilantism and makes it easier for judges to give 'immunity' to people who they believe were acting in self-defense. 

One instance of the law being used that made major headlines was the case of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman who fatally shot teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, in 2012. 

Zimmerman claimed he thought the unarmed Martin, who was walking home for a store, could have been a burglar. Jurors acquitted Zimmerman of a murder charge based on the self-defense law. 

Other examples of people being released based on the law include a 2012 case where a Miami man fatally stabbed a supposed car-radio thief in the heart and a 2015 case where a man fatally show his unarmed neighbor during an argument because the neighbor knew karate.  

Another case involved a teenager who called 911 to report a burglary, then ran outside the home and fatally shot the burglar as he climbed out of a window while exiting the home. Prosecutors dropped the murder charge against the teen, claiming they couldn't prove the case under the Stand Your Ground law.