Testimony continues in deadly 2021 St. Augustine shooting ‘stand your ground’ case

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Attorneys representing 31-year-old Luis Casado argue he acted in self-defense when he shot Adam Amoia outside a St. Augustine bar in 2021.

Casado is facing charges of manslaughter and carrying a concealed weapon in a 2021 deadly shooting.

Surveillance video showed Casado surrounded by a group of men, talking. At some point, 37-year-old Adam Amoia hits Casado knocking off his glasses. Casado’s attorney said he can’t see without them.

A plastic surgeon with evaluated Casado after the altercation testified in court on Wednesday.

“As a doctor would you refer to them as slaps or punches or how would you refer to that?” Casado’s attorney asked.

“I’d call it blunt trauma,” Dr. Deirdre Leake said.

Amoia continues to hit Casado who then pulls out a gun and fires multiple shots at Amoia, killing him. Two bullets were fired into his back as he ran away.

Casado’s attorneys also called a law enforcement trainer who specializes in analyzing decision-making under stress and reactions in threatening situations.

“In your experience, in your training and education, do people sometimes shoot others when the threat is turning away?” Casado’s attorney asked.

“Happens all the time,” Dr. Roy Bedard said.

The defense put heavy emphasis on Casado feeling threatened by asking the witness to analyze each frame of the nearly six-minute encounter caught on surveillance video.

Court resumes at 8:45 AM on Thursday. The defense has one more witness to call. Prosecutors will be calling two witnesses.

It’s unclear if Casado will testify in his own defense.

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