Suspect Claims What He Did Doesn't Count As Murder

on February 13 2023 57 year old Lloyd Preston call 9-1-1 hello what is your name Jared Hughes okay why'd you shoot him I cannot be aggressively in my parking lot at compound okay we have units in route you said he approached you aggressively yes are you the owner of compound yes this is the video footage of the incident that took place the victim Garrett Hughes can be seen standing in between two cars Lloyd comes out from the left-hand side of the screen and he sees Garrett on the other side of the parking lot Lloyd walks

up to confront Garrett and they talk for a few seconds Lloyd is then seen Russian Garrett right before the video footage ends Garrett would not survive his wounds and after the police viewed the surveillance footage Lloyd was arrested and brought in for interrogation at this point Lloyd doesn't know Garrett is dead all right first they um post or anything because formality our review right okay um you get your water I'm gonna regenerate and go through this how have you sounded just saying that I read them to you yeah and then if you want to I'll

have to read them it's a formality and then I'm going to give us your story I'm here to listen all right um all right uh pretty much tell me what happened and start if you can to start the I guess the night that you were had gone down that night correct okay so go ahead and let me know tell me tell me what you got are therefore um Super Bowl okay uh I was with uh my niece and her boyfriend okay I am now single so I hung out for a little bit longer um to

see if maybe a potential service might show up okay nothing happened I was ready to go home um I noticed there was a lot of activity going to and from the back door okay as we have discussed in the past right yes so I went out back to just see what was going on as you know I am armed thanks for my business my property all right I went out back and it was not one day this was not a drug dealer I don't think just I die and he had buddies with him and there

were there were cars but he was in between two cars there were Carter there were people on either side and I guess they were all together I don't know they hadn't come from inside the bar I don't know where they came from and he's in the parking lot okay and on the building and I said man can't you just go in the in and I'll be on them can't you just go into [ __ ] barn and piss in the toilet and we exchanged words and as it progressed he became more agitated and approached me

and I said look I own this stop he continued to approach I said I'm armed it appeared as though he was reaching for something Lloyd claims that Garrett rushed him however the video footage clearly shows that Lloyd walked up to Garrett confronted and then attacked him the argument could be made that he saw Garrett pull out what he believed to be a gun so he rushed him to attempt to disarm him unfortunately for Lloyd he has already told police that Garrett attacked him first shot went off this way the second shot went off up in

the air to the best of my recollection he was already on top of me he would happen that fast okay there's no doubt I fired a weapon okay because they wouldn't let me wash my hands yeah okay it happened all right I immediately once he was down did not continue to assault him said my firearm on the hood of a car okay by waiting the arrival of the police I did not bring her Aid because other people showed up to render Aid okay and I know he's got a lot of witnesses they're going to say

a lot of different things that's what happened from my perspective okay but I can tell you he was on me so fast that my second shot went in here okay there's that fast my property I stood my round I have feared for my life period on they asked Lloyd to draw a map of the parking lot and describe what happened the goal here is to show that the video footage of the incident does not match what Lloyd claims happened so there was a like a car we had to wear the back parking lot yeah he's

like this right okay no not over here not not these are the dumpsters right right here's that jeep that's been sitting there forever yes it was approximately here there was a truck parked here after it happened it happened back on here okay I laid my firearm there okay okay when did you when did you spit make contact with him um as I came out I was walking this direction it started here okay and where did it happen did the altercation happen like on the in the parking lot itself or a lot of stuff okay no

no no no no I'm saying like well were you in between the parts in between the cars okay right here all right all of that's a matter of fact there's cameras everywhere Okay so that all of that is a matter of fact okay and then as he approached me I identified I own all of this yeah it's all my property okay I identified myself as the owner of the property I identified myself as being on he's still approached and appeared as though he was going for something okay that's what did he tell you when you

told him about what like what if we were going back who the [ __ ] are you here but we're just going back and forth on this thing and it just got me that fast okay let's take one final look at that footage Lloyd walks up to Garrett takes a step back and then rushes him it was not alarmed on our process it really wasn't because if it had been then his buddies that were here would have anything had they all come in together and have been a fist fight things might have ended differently but

that dude was agitated already I mean you can test me for drugs or whatever I don't know I've I I swear I hope he's okay I I I hit him in the abdomen I don't think I hated with the second shot because the second shot went in the air he gave his stuff out so when when it had when the altercation happened um that you all came together was there any contact with you on him did you grab him did he grab you did was there any uh hand contact not in my recollection okay it

happened so fast but when somebody's coming at you that fast I got you it does actually it doesn't matter all right now if we're going to get into very my new particulars that's what I'm going to ask for a lawyer okay because I'm telling you the overall scope of what happened and the reason I asked for you is you understand the Dynamics of that establishment yes I do and you so you know I'm armed all the time nature of my business and what goes on back there and really all I was doing was walking through

here to see what was going on to give me a call if something was happening all right that's it no we have and you always tell me people have been doing stuff back there we've got a good relationship in all honesty I don't think these were I don't think they were dealing with anything I think they were just drunk guys okay they're local I think right um and I can tell you one of them's probably gonna try to kill it based on did they say anything uh the looks and finally your um officer that did

not detain me right really he didn't handcuff me but we wouldn't set them on next steps because what originally I was looking at the scene and the guy was looking at me like yeah I'm gonna get even with you and the officer's opportunity said just come sit over here and work this Direction one of the many problems with this case is that Lloyd had multiple opportunities to leave the parking lot and call the police this case happened in Florida which does have a stand your ground law according to a statement by the state's attorney office

they believe that this was a senseless killing and that Lloyd was annoyed and had a warped interpretation of the situation they believed that the videotaped evidence does not reflect a stand your ground defense in this case right so just so I get it right you walked out of here you were walking just do it you walk and you walk out of countdown and you walk in there when you made it when you engaged yeah and the Eagles and he zipped his pants up and we had words and he came at me okay and I mean

there's no reason for me to go with a guy that's just other than verbally just you know really go to the [ __ ] bar they got three bathrooms I got you um and I so I don't know beyond that I I can I didn't know him he had no reason to have malice for me that I'm aware of right I mean a lot of people know you know that yeah I did not recognize him as someone that I've run into before okay all right um and as far as words you know can't remember what

he told or anything like that you know it's all I hate to say it but you know In the Heat of battle In the Heat of the Moment words are exchange yes can I be verbally abusive yes okay but did I walk up and strike him to cause him to come in nine okay and my recollection is the guy was a little bit taller than I am right did he hit you did he strike you no he came at me you know it's right in the manner okay and it appeared as though he was grabbing

reaching for something but he was coming in me all right did you did you see what he was like what he was reaching at or anything like that okay what do you what do you mean by the threatening manner like what this could be friends yeah have issues because I I mean where where he ended up after my recollection was outside here okay behind the Cars right okay you tell me if I'm incorrect but yeah so he obviously came toward Minka did did you find him here next to the building no you found it in

the middle of the parking lot which is where I was which means he came to me all right when you came out we were his friends the detective makes a good point because Garrett was alone in the parking lot it wasn't until the incident took place that a couple Spectators would approach Lloyd and Garrett there was a friend okay I don't know if they were his friends right but the people there were other people there were some over here and some over here but there were cars so he was like he was isolated until he

was by himself like Stan right okay yeah I did not sitting around Washington right right right right right was there anything back here by the back door anybody hanging out back there I worked out I don't believe there was at the time there was immediately afterwards okay everywhere all right afterwards at what point did you draw on him was it here when he got when I fired he was about this close because I fired on him it appeared as though he was reaching for something and he's coming at me and now the time he got

that close I fired he's on top of me okay did he fall on you he came down okay he's like my second shot went in the air okay so you fell on the ground you you remember if you fell on the ground and fell back yeah he came at me yeah because I broke but yeah I got up but he wasn't on top of me um it all ended he was on the ground okay where he was reaching like was he reaching on his side okay which is where I carrier Farm okay I mean there

was no reason for this this was it I don't know if you're holding the gun with one hand or with two hands me were you able to actually it appears that Lloyd knows this question is important and he doesn't want to give the wrong answer he has already shown police that he used the gun by pointing it at Garrett with one hand I don't know I will tell you what the best of my recollection is I'm sure it happened pretty fast two one okay I mean it was that fast and just to get so you

you're walking towards them yeah I'm not looking for him he's okay do you want to show she's like okay I'm trying to get like did you fall you said you got you you got up off the ground yeah because when he came my second shot went in the air okay it was that fast okay okay all right and I'm gonna maintain just in your ground all day long I mean it's my parking lot he's coming at me I mean I it what I hope comes out of this I understand your job and I understand friends

don't cross that line for your job I think this is a case for a grand jury oh that's that's what we're here do you know my job yeah um to investigate all of the facts this is something that we we get all the facts we get all the we get everything The Good the Bad and the Ugly we put everything together and you know and before we do anything I don't want to go to jail tonight but you know I'm not going anywhere so um taken to a grand jury that well that's up to the

state something that's we can put everything together we take it to the state then they make that decision but you know and this you know this wasn't a Revenge thing this wasn't one of the dealers back there it wasn't like I was hunting somebody I got you I got you ain't no appreciate reform I got you um after they do a few tests on him Lloyd wants to know what happens next so by spending the night in uh Rick Ramsey's I don't know we're gonna this this is what we're doing and I'll be perfectly honest

with you um we're gonna put everything together your story their story um probably five or six of them and that and that's fine we'll it goes to the state we tell them what what we're gonna do and they'll make the decision of how they want perceive they're going to take it to Grand Jury if they're gonna you either way that we just we just and you know how we operate you know me for a long time I'm not gonna [ __ ] you and you know what I mean if if and I know that you

you got plenty of roots here so based on what the state assessed we'll give them both sides we'll give them and they'll make a decision um and you'll be you'll know so right now we're just putting everything together you coming forward you're talking to us we'll give them that and then they'll make the decision of how they wanna I'm not hiding what happened so no I understand that and you've always been up front with me with no problem so we just put everything together you know and then we we give it to them and it'll

go from there so here's what I would ask if if you want to hold me for whatever reason give me three or four days here's why I'm a one-man shop I've got to pay estimated taxes I'm the only one that can do it and again I've got to be in my office I don't care if you come and sit with me to make sure I don't go anywhere right but I've got to be able to do that well and that's not just I can't make that decision and I'm going to tell you I can't make

that decision that's not on me to make but um then something that walk how to talk to the state about Okay and like I said I've always been upfront with you there's nothing I had to you know you know I have to do my job as far as no matter what it is but I'll have to we've got to run everything to the state and through the detectives don't want to tell Lloyd that Garrett is dead because then he may ask for a lawyer and stop answering questions once Lloyd confirms he wants a lawyer they

will then tell him the bad news can I ask you how the fellow's doing right now he's uh critical [ __ ] all right she's gonna get a camera we'll take some pictures of you um and then let me see I got that done would you consent to getting some book of swabs from you for um DNA yeah okay did you wash hand they didn't give you anything to wipe up with or anything like if you have blood on you or anything [Music] I immediately set my firearm on the hood and stopped if we get

medications we're going to take you to the hospital well a couple of things from these investigations one of the things we've got to do as a blood draw um we're gonna transport you to the hospital we're going to do a blood roll we've got a wonderful blood flow okay um when you get there we're going to give the medication so the doctor could give you the prescribed medication okay because we're not doctors and we don't want to get you know what to take huh you know what I'm taking you want to give me a list

of them the detective is about to let Lloyd know that Garrett has passed away but before he does he has one last question they know Lloyd was the aggressor but did Garrett make any threatening statements when the guy came you said the guy came towards you do you remember anything or any type of threatening thing said he told you or anything that he made actions I know you said he was coming to aggressively he's getting taller than I was right did he show anything like did you remember anything hand Maneuvers and things do you remember

anything it was just that fast enough okay all right um all right so I think the covered at all we could take you out there get that done and we got to do what we've got to do um also but all right passed again to speak to my attorneys so that's fine then I won't ask you anything else if you want to talk to your attorney Robert fertilizer okay um that's fine if that's what and that's fine that's totally your right to do it um we're gonna we're gonna go ahead and get you to the

hospital and once you get done with what you got to do we'll get you you can give them a call so we'll get we'll get it done right now we're not going to ask you anything else we do have a warrant we do have a warrant for the flood which is that's what I judge so that'll be done just so you know the hospital had contacted us a little bit ago I just talked to the detective that was out there and the the kid did pass away so I just want to let you know that

all right um unfortunate thing but I I got to tell you it's not too long and there's no need to hold anything back but no uh they'll take you now the gentleman that went downstairs and take you out there be bearing on what the state they don't want to know the stand your ground law better than any others we'll present it to all and see what they say okay we got their story your story you want us with us what you said um and we just let them go it's very the the stand your ground

there's a state we've had these cases before where they're the ones that know that they know that law better than us okay Lloyd is currently being held without bond what are your thoughts on this case did Lloyd act in self-defense or should he be charged with murder