@japdmedia26: A Florida woman will not face criminal charges after a deadly parking dispute at a North Lauderdale Walmart, with prosecutors ruling her actions protected under the state's self-defense statutes. Melissa Payne will not be prosecuted for the k¡lling of Bart DiGuglielmo. 'The facts surrounding the June 30, 2026, homicide of Bart DiGuglielmo are as tragic as they are absurd,' Stephen Zaccor, the Broward County State Attorney's Office homicide trial unit chief, wrote in his decision. Officials confirmed Payne lawfully carried her g¥n and had a right to be in the public space. Video evidence verified DiGuglielmo threatened her, and prosecutors noted they could not prove she lacked reasonable fear for her safety. The incident began when both drivers tried to take the same parking space. DiGuglielmo briefly left, allowing Payne to park. He later returned and confronted her. After about a minute, DiGuglielmo returned to the scene and told Payne: 'I'm gonna f* your s* up,' prosecutors said. Witnesses stated he threatened to damage her vehicle before parking nearby. Payne stepped out of her vehicle carrying her phone and a g¥n as he approached. The witness said Payne told DiGuglielmo: 'If you keep coming up to me, I'm going to f***ing shoot you!' Payne also warned DiGuglielmo: 'Don't come over here!' 'Don't come near my car!' and 'Don't try that!', prosecutors said, citing video evidence of the incident. Footage showed DiGuglielmo gesturing with keys in his hand and continuing to advance before Payne shøt him once in the abdomen. He was taken to a hospital where he died. Authorities detained Payne, and her husband confirmed she called him immediately to notify police. Her husband testified that Payne told him: 'Bae, I shot. Call the cops,' before he rushed to the Walmart. 'The video does not demonstrate that MP [Payne] was in the right, rather it demonstrates that the State of Florida cannot overcome her claim that she was in reasonable fear of great bodily harm by clear and convincing evidence,' Zaccor wrote. 'Florida is a Stand Your Ground State. MP did not have to wait to be attacked before resorting to deadly force. 'She did not have to retreat as long as her fear was reasonable and no evidence has been presented to disprove that.' DiGuglielmo's sister told CBS News in June that the loss of her brother, a decorated military veteran who served in Desert Storm, was devastating. 'He was a Christian man and a very good person and would not hurt anyone,' she said. His daughter launched an online campaign to raise funds for legal representation and demanded public transparency. 'My father was a 62-year-old veteran who proudly served our country for 20 years, including serving during Desert Storm and Desert Shield,' she wrote. 'After his military service, he dedicated another 20 years of his life as an ER trauma nurse, caring for vulnerable patients during some of the most difficult moments of their lives 'He spent his life serving others — his country, his patients, his family, and the people around him. 'He dedicated decades to helping and protecting others, and he deserved to have someone advocating for him when he could no longer advocate for himself.' 'A veteran was killed in his own country, in a public parking lot, after a dispute that should never have ended in death,' the petition read. Attorney Melissa Rodriguez stated the family was disappointed by the decision not to file charges. Do you agree with the prosecutor's decision to apply self-defense laws in parking lot disputes, or should the legal standard be stricter? #NorthLauderdale #USA #MelissaPayne #BartDiGuglielmo #japd

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